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The third-ranked Gonzaga men’s basketball team earned its highest-ever ranking in the Associated Press’ preseason Top 25 poll, and the upstart Washington Huskies slipped into the rankings at No. 25.
The Bulldogs, who trailed No. 1 Kansas and No. 2 Kentucky in the rankings, received one first-place vote. Duke and Virginia rounded out the top five.
Gonzaga won 32 games last season and made its fourth consecutive Sweet 16 appearance before falling to Florida State.
UW, in coach Mike Hopkins’ second season on Montlake, returns its top seven scorers from a team that won 21 games last season before losing to Saint Mary’s in the NIT.
The Huskies checked in at No. 25 just in front of 2017-18 NCAA Tournament darling Loyola of Chicago.
Kansas is No. 1 in The Associated Press Top 25 preseason poll.
Bill Self’s Jayhawks earned 37 of 65 first-place votes in results released Monday. That was nearly double that of second-ranked Kentucky.
The Jayhawks lost three starters from last year’s Final Four team, but have a restocked roster that includes transfer help from Memphis and California.
The Atlantic Coast Conference has seven ranked teams, the most for any conference. The Southeastern Conference has five teams in the poll.
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