University of Connecticut Athletics
MBB Ranked No. 6 In Preseason AP Top 25
10/16/2023 11:58:00 AM | Men's Basketball
STORRS – The defending national champion UConn men's basketball team will open the 2023-24 season ranked No. 6 in the Preseason Associated Press Top 25. The mark is UConn's highest preseason mark since opening the 2011-12 campaign at No. 4 in the preseason poll.
The Huskies last opened a season ranked in 2021-22, when they kicked off the season at No. 24 in the AP Preseason poll. Last year after opening the season unranked, UConn rose as high as No. 2 in late December and finished the regular season at No. 10 in the poll.
The top-10 preseason ranking is a first for UConn under Dan Hurley and marks the ninth time in program history that Connecticut will open a season in the top-10. On two of those occasions (1998-99 and 2003-04) the Huskies would go on to win a national championship. UConn has been ranked preseason No. 6 on other occasion, prior to the 1995-96 campaign.
Several UConn opponents both in the non-conference and the BIG EAST slate are also ranked in the preseason Top-25. Kansas (Dec. 1) leads the way at No. 1, followed by No. 5 Marquette (Feb. 17, March 6), No. 8 Creighton (Jan. 17, Feb. 20), No. 11 Gonzaga (Dec. 15), No. 18 Texas (possibly Nov. 20), No. 19 North Carolina (Dec. 5) and No. 22 Villanova (Jan. 20, Feb. 24). In addition, Indiana (Nov. 19), St. John's (Dec. 23, Feb. 3) and Xavier (Jan. 10, Jan. 28) are receiving votes.
The 2023-24 Huskies open the campaign on Nov. 6 against Northern Arizona at Gampel Pavilion. Prior to the contest, UConn will unveil the 2023 National Championship banner in a pregame ceremony.
