North Carolina No. 1 in AP's preseason men's basketball poll

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The North Carolina team that made it to the national title game last season was a surprise to everyone.

The Tar Heels are not going to be sneaking up on anyone.

The Tar Heels, who lost to Kansas in New Orleans, are the favorite to win the title. They received 47 of 62 first-place votes from a national media panel and easily beat the top preseason men's team.

Kentucky and Houston both received two first-place votes.

There is a picture of the New Orleans Superdome in the locker room. Davis wanted them to see where we were going in April. It took a lot of hard work and preparation to get to that point. The approach is the same as last year. Outside noise is the only difference this year.

The outside noise did not think we had a chance. Outside noise thinks we do.

It is the 10th time that North Carolina has held the top spot in the preseason. Only two times during those years did the Tar Heels reach the national championship game, and only one time did they win it.

"Like Coach Davis always preaches, a lot of outside noise, and we don't really worry about any of that," said one of the four returning starters for North Carolina.

Love said that they just focus on their team and get better.

Drew Timme will once again be relied on to deliver the national title to Mark Few. Houston's preseason ranking is its highest since 1983, when the third of the team's titles came. Kentucky's preseason ranking is its best since the season ended with the Pandemic.

The Jayhawks and Bears both raised their championship banners the previous season, but there was a tie.

Duke and UCLA were both ranked in the top eight. Arkansas is the highest ranked team in the preseason, followed by Texas, Texas A&M, Indiana, and TCU.

When you're picked ninth, you don't pay much attention to it. You try to get better at your job. We need to approach it the same.

The 13th ranked Hoosiers are in the preseason for the first time in three years.

Kyle Neptune is taking over for Jay Wright at the lowest ranked school in the country. Arizona, Virginia, San Diego State, and Alabama followed them.

Oregon, Michigan, Illinois, Dayton and Texas Tech are the last five.

I never paid much attention to the rankings when I was a player. Hoosiers coach Mike Woodson told his players to go out and play. We didn't get it done when we were ranked number one. It's nice for our players who have never experienced that. You have to play again. You have to show it on the basketball court. That is when it matters.

There is a conference watch.

Five ranked teams are from the Big 12 and SEC. The Big East and the Big Ten have two each. The West Coast, Atlantic 10, Mountain West and American Athletic conferences have a single team in the poll.

Looking outside.

Texas A&M and the University of Connecticut were the first two teams outside the poll. When the first regular-season poll is released in November, Miami, Purdue and Saint Louis will be looking for a spot.

You should mark your costume.

The first meeting of teams ranked in the preseason will be in Indianapolis on November 15.