LAWRENCE, Kan. – For the 11th-consecutive year, Kansas men’s basketball enters the 2022-23 season ranked seventh or higher as KU is No. 5, tied with fellow Big 12-member Baylor, in the 2022-23 preseason Associated Press poll released Monday.
This is also the 13th time in the last 14 seasons that the Jayhawks have entered the season No. 7 or higher by the AP, including 10 times in the top five and five in the top three. KU was No. 1 in 2009-10, No. 3 in 2016-17, No. 1 in 2018-19, No. 3 in 2019-20 and No. 3 in 2021-22.
Kansas’ trails top-ranked North Carolina, No. 2 Gonzaga, No. 3 Houston and No. 4 Kentucky in the 2022-23 preseason poll.
Last season, Kansas entered the preseason ranked No. 3 nationally in the Associated Press poll and finished the year at No. 3. The final AP poll of the season is released prior to the NCAA Tournament, which Kansas won in 2022. The Jayhawks were ranked in the AP top 10 in every poll during the 2021-22 season.
Under 20th-year and Hall of Fame head coach Bill Self, this is the 17th time that Kansas enters the season ranked seventh or higher in the Associated Press preseason poll. Historically, the No. 3 ranking marks the 25th time since the 1992-93 season that Kansas will enter the season seventh or higher.
Kansas could possibly play 13 games against teams ranked in the preseason Associated Press Top 25. KU will twice play against No. 5 Baylor, No. 12 Texas, No. 14 TCU and No. 25 Texas Tech in Big 12 contests and will also face No. 4 Kentucky, No. 7 Duke and No. 13 Indiana. KU could also play No. 11 Tennessee and No. 24 Dayton in the Battle 4 Atlantis, Nov. 23-25, at Paradise Island, Bahamas.
Kansas returns two starters – Jalen Wilson and Dajuan Harris Jr. – and seven letterwinners from last season’s 34-6 season, in which it won its sixth national title and fourth in the NCAA history. Wilson was named a unanimous Preseason All-Big 12 selection, while redshirt-senior Kevin McCullar, a transfer from Texas Tech, was an honorable mention honoree by the conference.
Last season, KU tied Baylor for first place in the Big 12 regular season with a 14-4 record. It was KU’s NCAA-record 63rd conference regular-season title and 20th in the 26-year history of the Big 12. The Jayhawks then won the Big 12 Tournament, advanced to its NCAA-record 32nd-consecutive NCAA Tournament, a streak that started in 1990, and its 16th Final Four. The Jayhawks won their last 11 games of the season en route to the NCAA title.
2022-23 Associated Press Preseason Poll (Oct. 17, 2022)
Rank. School (first place votes) – points
1. North Carolina (47) – 1532
2. Gonzaga (12) – 1479
3. Houston (1) – 1404
4. Kentucky (2) – 1364
T5. KANSAS – 1200
T5. Baylor – 1200
7. Duke – 1168
8. UCLA – 1093
9. Creighton – 1060
10. Arkansas – 1026
11. Tennessee – 880
12. Texas – 844
13. Indiana – 745
14. TCU – 735
15. Auburn – 623
16. Villanova – 578
17. Arizona – 543
18. Virginia – 462
19. San Diego State – 394
20. Alabama – 281
21. Oregon – 260
22. Michigan – 229
23. Illinois – 215
24. Dayton – 170
25. Texas Tech – 122
Others receiving votes: Texas A&M 112, UConn 101, Miami 66, Purdue 56, Saint Louis 36, Michigan State 35, Florida State 32, Xavier 29, Wyoming 25, Ohio State 23, Iowa 13, Rutgers 4, Florida 3, USC 3, Toledo 1, Virginia Tech 1, Memphis 1, Notre Dame 1, UAB 1
