The Indiana Hoosiers and Purdue Boilermakers are both ranked in the top 15 in the Associated Press Top 25 preseason college basketball poll.
Indiana, 27-8 last season, and Purdue, 26-9, are among five Big Ten teams to make the Top 25. The Hoosiers open their regular season against the No. 3 Kansas Jayhawks on Nov. 11 during the Armed Forces Classic in Honolulu. Purdue will host McNeese State on Nov. 11 in its season opener. The Boilermakers will then take on No. 4 Villanova.
The Hoosiers, the defending Big Ten champions, are ranked to start the season for the fourth time in the last five years. Thomas Bryant, OG Anunoby, James Blackmon Jr. and Robert Johnson are among players returning for IU.
Purdue has several returning players from last year’s team including Caleb Swanigan, Vincent Edwards and Isaac Haas. The No. 15 ranking represents the team’s highest preseason ranking since the 2010-2011 poll, when the Boilers were rated No. 14.
Other Big Ten teams in the Top 25 are Wisconsin, Michigan State and Maryland.
The Duke Blue Devils are the overwhelming preseason No. 1 after receiving 58 of 65 first-place votes. It’s the eighth time the Blue Devils have held the preseason No.1 ranking.
The Kentucky Wildcats received two first-place votes and ranked No. 2 in the poll. Villanova (No. 4) and Oregon (No. 5) also received first-place votes.
Here’ the entire poll:
- Duke
- Kentucky
- Kansas
- Villanova
- Oregon
- North Carolina
- Xavier
- Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Arizona
- Indiana
- Michigan State
- Louisville
- Gonzaga
- Purdue
- UCLA
- Saint Mary’s
- Connecticut
- Syracuse
- West Virginia
- Texas
- Creighton
- Rhode Island
- Iowa State
- Maryland
