Wichita State opens at No. 11 in AP preseason basketball poll
Wichita State is No. 11 in the Associated Press men’s basketball preseason poll released Friday, the highest spot for a Missouri Valley Conference team since 1981.
The Shockers, 35-1 last season, received 1,027 points from the 65 writers and broadcasters who vote in the poll. Kansas is No. 5 with 1,346 points. No. 1 Kentucky earned 52 of the 65 first-place votes. Utah, a WSU opponent, is tied with Harvard at No. 25.
Kansas State received 27 points, sixth-most among teams not ranked.
WSU appears in the AP preseason poll for a second consecutive season after debuting at No. 16 last season. The Shockers ranked No. 6 in the 1981-82 preseason poll, the top landing spot for an MVC school since the early 1970s. The last MVC team to rank higher than No. 11 other than WSU is No. 8 Louisville in 1974.
The Shockers are also No. 11 in the USA Today coaches poll.
WSU plays an exhibition game against Northwood (Fla.) on Nov. 8 and opens the season on Nov. 14 against New Mexico State at Koch Arena. Kansas plays two exhibition games before opening against Cal-Santa Barbara on Nov. 14. Kansas State meets Washburn in a Nov. 9 exhibition before playing Southern Utah on Nov. 14 in its opener.
Reach Paul Suellentrop at 316-269-6760 or psuellentrop@wichitaeagle.com. Follow him on Twitter: @paulsuellentrop.
WSU in Associated Press preseason polls
No. 5 — 1963-64
No. 3 — 1964-65
No. 6 — 1981-82
No. 16 — 2013-14
No. 11 — 2014-15
The Top Twenty Five
The top 25 teams in The Associated Press’ preseason 2014-15 college basketball poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, 2013-14 records, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote and last year’s final ranking:
Record | Pts | Prv | |
1. Kentucky (52) | 29-11 | 1,604 | _ |
2. Arizona (5) | 33-5 | 1,518 | 4 |
3. Wisconsin (8) | 30-8 | 1,483 | 12 |
4. Duke | 26-9 | 1,415 | 8 |
5. Kansas | 25-10 | 1,346 | 10 |
6. North Carolina | 24-10 | 1,274 | 19 |
7. Florida | 36-3 | 1,153 | 1 |
8. Louisville | 31-6 | 1,114 | 5 |
9. Virginia | 30-7 | 1,090 | 3 |
10. Texas | 24-11 | 1,061 | _ |
11. Wichita St. | 35-1 | 1,027 | 2 |
12. Villanova | 29-5 | 885 | 6 |
13. Gonzaga | 29-7 | 840 | _ |
14. Iowa St. | 28-8 | 781 | 9 |
15. VCU | 26-9 | 574 | 24 |
16. San Diego St. | 31-5 | 560 | 13 |
17. UConn | 32-8 | 552 | 18 |
18. Michigan St. | 29-9 | 521 | 11 |
19. Oklahoma | 23-10 | 426 | 21 |
20. Ohio St. | 25-10 | 340 | 22 |
21. Nebraska | 19-13 | 309 | _ |
22. SMU | 27-10 | 285 | _ |
23. Syracuse | 28-6 | 178 | 14 |
24. Michigan | 28-9 | 167 | 7 |
25. Harvard | 27-5 | 98 | _ |
25. Utah | 21-12 | 98 | _ |
Others receiving votes: Stanford 71, Iowa 58, Colorado 57, UCLA 35, Minnesota 34, Kansas St. 27, Arkansas 21, Pittsburgh 20, Memphis 15, NC State 14, Louisiana Tech 9, Cincinnati 8, LSU 8, George Washington 7, Dayton 6, Notre Dame 6, Oklahoma St. 6, Florida St. 5, Georgetown 5, Illinois 3, Maryland 3, BYU 2, UNLV 2, Baylor 1, Stephen F. Austin 1, UTEP 1, West Virginia 1.
This story was originally published October 31, 2014 at 11:50 AM with the headline "Wichita State opens at No. 11 in AP preseason basketball poll."