Duke is ranked in the preseason Top 25 for the 20th time this century — more than any other team.
The 2018-19 AP Preseason poll — released Monday — was the 20th preseason poll this century.
Only one team in all of college basketball has been ranked in every single one: Duke.
The Blue Devils came in at No. 4 in this year’s poll, marking the 11th time they’ve been ranked in the Top 5 to start the season since 2000.
Duke also has the best average preseason ranking at 5.5. Of all teams that have been ranked more than once this century, only 11 have an average ranking inside the Top 10.
| Team | Total rankings | Average ranking |
|---|---|---|
| Duke | 20 | 5.5 |
| Kansas | 19 | 6.1 |
| North Carolina | 18 | 6.4 |
| Auburn | 2 | 7.5 |
| Michigan State | 18 | 7.7 |
| Kentucky | 19 | 7.9 |
| Arizona | 15 | 8.2 |
| Ohio State | 8 | 8.8 |
| Villanova | 9 | 9.0 |
| Florida | 14 | 9.6 |
| Louisville | 12 | 9.7 |
In total, 90 teams have found themselves in the preseason Top 25 since the 1999-2000 season. Including Duke, 15 have appeared 10 or more times.
TCU is looking up to all of them. The Horned Frogs are ranked No. 20 in this year’s poll — their first appearance in the preseason rankings this century.
Nevada — ranked No. 7 this year — is also somewhat of a newbie. The Wolfpack are in the preseason Top 25 for just the third time since 2000, which is the fewest total appearances for any team in this year’s Top 10.
Highest preseason ranking for a basketball team in the history of the @MountainWest and the University of Nevada! This is a huge honor for our program, conference, and university but now it's time to EARN it! #TheHunt #ItsNotWhereYouStartItsWhereYouFinish pic.twitter.com/yA4g0W4sam
— Nevada Basketball (@NevadaHoops) October 23, 2018
Kansas is No. 1 for the third time this century — the first since 2005. That year, the Jayhawks went 23-7 and lost to 14-seed Bucknell in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
RELATED: How the preseason Top 25 fare in March Madness
The last preseason No. 1 to win the national championship was North Carolina in 2009 — just the sixth time that has happened since the NCAA tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985.
Here is the full listing of the 90 teams that have been ranked in the preseason Top 25 this century:
| Team | Total rankings | Total sum | Average ranking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duke | 20 | 109 | 5.5 |
| Kansas | 19 | 115 | 6.1 |
| Kentucky | 19 | 151 | 7.9 |
| North Carolina | 18 | 116 | 6.4 |
| Michigan State | 18 | 139 | 7.7 |
| Gonzaga | 16 | 241 | 15.1 |
| Arizona | 15 | 123 | 8.2 |
| Florida | 14 | 135 | 9.6 |
| Connecticut | 14 | 151 | 10.8 |
| UCLA | 14 | 189 | 13.5 |
| Syracuse | 13 | 177 | 13.6 |
| Louisville | 12 | 116 | 9.7 |
| Texas | 12 | 155 | 12.9 |
| Wisconsin | 11 | 176 | 16.0 |
| Memphis | 10 | 138 | 13.8 |
| Villanova | 9 | 81 | 9.0 |
| Oklahoma | 9 | 126 | 14.0 |
| Ohio State | 8 | 70 | 8.8 |
| Pittsburgh | 8 | 90 | 11.3 |
| Illinois | 8 | 98 | 12.3 |
| Tennessee | 8 | 113 | 14.1 |
| Purdue | 8 | 137 | 17.1 |
| Notre Dame | 8 | 141 | 17.6 |
| Maryland | 7 | 86 | 12.3 |
| Virginia | 7 | 87 | 12.4 |
| Indiana | 7 | 103 | 14.7 |
| Michigan | 7 | 113 | 16.1 |
| Cincinnati | 7 | 118 | 16.9 |
| Marquette | 7 | 123 | 17.6 |
| Stanford | 6 | 85 | 14.2 |
| Missouri | 6 | 87 | 14.5 |
| Georgetown | 6 | 89 | 14.8 |
| Alabama | 6 | 95 | 15.8 |
| Baylor | 6 | 118 | 19.7 |
| Oregon | 5 | 61 | 12.2 |
| West Virginia | 5 | 66 | 13.2 |
| Oklahoma State | 5 | 80 | 16.0 |
| Wake Forest | 5 | 81 | 16.2 |
| USC | 5 | 89 | 17.8 |
| Iowa State | 5 | 95 | 19.0 |
| Washington | 5 | 96 | 19.2 |
| Wichita State | 4 | 44 | 11.0 |
| Xavier | 4 | 48 | 12.0 |
| Mississippi State | 4 | 60 | 15.0 |
| Utah | 4 | 69 | 17.3 |
| NC State | 4 | 70 | 17.5 |
| Texas A&M | 4 | 74 | 18.5 |
| Kansas State | 3 | 40 | 13.3 |
| Boston College | 3 | 43 | 14.3 |
| Temple | 3 | 45 | 15.0 |
| Georgia Tech | 3 | 48 | 16.0 |
| LSU | 3 | 49 | 16.3 |
| California | 3 | 51 | 17.0 |
| Butler | 3 | 52 | 17.3 |
| Nevada | 3 | 53 | 17.7 |
| Miami | 3 | 55 | 18.3 |
| Creighton | 3 | 57 | 19.0 |
| San Diego State | 3 | 61 | 20.3 |
| Minnesota | 3 | 64 | 21.3 |
| Auburn | 2 | 15 | 7.5 |
| Vanderbilt | 2 | 25 | 12.5 |
| Saint Joseph's | 2 | 27 | 13.5 |
| Iowa | 2 | 29 | 14.5 |
| VCU | 2 | 29 | 14.5 |
| Seton Hall | 2 | 33 | 16.5 |
| Arkansas | 2 | 34 | 17.0 |
| Virginia Tech | 2 | 36 | 18.0 |
| Saint Mary's | 2 | 39 | 19.5 |
| DePaul | 2 | 41 | 20.5 |
| Florida State | 2 | 42 | 21.0 |
| Clemson | 2 | 46 | 23.0 |
| Washington State | 1 | 10 | 10.0 |
| Arizona State | 1 | 15 | 15.0 |
| Georgia | 1 | 16 | 16.0 |
| St. John's | 1 | 18 | 18.0 |
| UNLV | 1 | 18 | 18.0 |
| Northwestern | 1 | 19 | 19.0 |
| Davidson | 1 | 20 | 20.0 |
| TCU | 1 | 20 | 20.0 |
| Western Kentucky | 1 | 20 | 20.0 |
| Dayton | 1 | 21 | 21.0 |
| George Washington | 1 | 21 | 21.0 |
| Nebraska | 1 | 21 | 21.0 |
| SMU | 1 | 22 | 22.0 |
| New Mexico | 1 | 23 | 23.0 |
| Rhode Island | 1 | 23 | 23.0 |
| BYU | 1 | 24 | 24.0 |
| Southern Illinois | 1 | 24 | 24.0 |
| Harvard | 1 | 25 | 25.0 |
| Tulsa | 1 | 25 | 25.0 |
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