KU ranked No. 3 behind Gonzaga, UCLA in preseason AP Top 25

Kansas forward Mitch Lightfoot (44) dunks the ball during the second half of an NCAA men's...
Kansas forward Mitch Lightfoot (44) dunks the ball during the second half of an NCAA men's college basketball tournament second-round game against Seton Hall Saturday, March 17, 2018, in Wichita, Kan. Kansas won 83-79. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)(WIBW)
Published: Oct. 18, 2021 at 12:15 PM CDT
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TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - Gonzaga carried a No. 1 ranking all last season before falling a win short of becoming college basketball’s first unbeaten national champion in 45 years.

Mark Few’s Bulldogs start this season in the same position, hoping to complete that final step this time around.

The Zags were the runaway top choice in The Associated Press Top 25 men’s college basketball preseason poll released Monday. They earned 55 of 63 first-place votes to easily outdistance No. 2 UCLA, which earned the other eight. Kansas, Villanova and Texas rounded out the top five, while reigning national champion Baylor checked in at No. 8.

The Zags have accomplished just about every milestone possible in 23 years under Few other than cutting down the nets on the final Monday night of the season. They came close to completing the first unbeaten run since 1976 last year with a wire-to-wire No. 1 team, only to fall to the Bears in a one-sided final in Indianapolis.

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