Kentucky Basketball No. 4 in Preseason Coaches Poll

It’s a consensus: your University of Kentucky Wildcats will start the 2022-23 season ranked No. 4. The USA Today Preseason Coaches Poll just dropped and the Cats are fourth, just like the AP Preseason Poll last week. In fact, the top fours of both polls are identical: 1. North Carolina, 2. Gonzaga, 3. Houston, 4. Kentucky.

The Cats received three first-place votes from the panel of 32 coaches (one from each Division I conference that receives an automatic bid to the tournament). Each coach submits a Top 25 with a first-place vote worth 25 points, second place 24, and so on down to one point for 25th.

Eight of Kentucky’s opponents this season made the Top 25, with several more receiving votes.

• 2. Gonzaga
• 5. Kansas
• 7. UCLA
• 10. Arkansas
• 11. Tennessee
• 15. Auburn
• 19. Alabama
• 22. Michigan

USA Today Preseason Coaches Poll

RANK	TEAM	RECORD	POINTS	1ST
1	North Carolina	0-0	778	23
2	Gonzaga	0-0	759	5
3	Houston	0-0	713	1
4	Kentucky	0-0	697	3
5	Kansas	0-0	660	0
6	Baylor	0-0	632	0
7	UCLA	0-0	560	0
8	Duke	0-0	552	0
9	Creighton	0-0	500	0
10	Arkansas	0-0	498	0
11	Tennessee	0-0	486	0
12	Texas	0-0	449	0
13	Arizona	0-0	352	0
14	Indiana	0-0	334	0
15	Auburn	0-0	318	0
16	Texas Christian	0-0	317	0
17	Villanova	0-0	300	0
18	Virginia	0-0	287	0
19	Alabama	0-0	176	0
20	San Diego St.	0-0	173	0
21	Oregon	0-0	128	0
22	Michigan	0-0	122	0
23	Illinois	0-0	115	0
24	Texas Tech	0-0	107	0
25	Dayton	0-0	75	0

Others Receiving Votes: Purdue 44; Texas A&M 37; Miami-Florida 31; Connecticut 31; Michigan St. 29; Providence 22; Iowa 22; Syracuse 13; Florida State 13; Virginia Tech 9; Southern California 9; Saint Mary’s 8; Wyoming 7; Wisconsin 7; UAB 6; Ohio St. 5; Florida 5; Iowa State 4; Xavier 3; Toledo 2; Rutgers 2; Drake 2; Boise St. 1.

2022-23 Coaches Poll voters

• Randy Bennett, Saint Mary’s;
• Jim Boeheim, Syracuse; 
• Glenn Braica, St. Francis (N.Y.);
• Kevin Broadus, Morgan State;
• Scott Drew, Baylor;
• Matt Driscoll, North Florida;
• Baker Dunleavy, Quinnipiac;
• Jim Ferry, Maryland-Baltimore County;
• Greg Gary, Mercer;
• Michael Huger, Bowling Green;
• Ron Hunter, Tulane;
• Ben Jacobson, Northern Iowa;
• Rob Jeter, Western Illinois;
• James Jones, Yale;
• Greg Kampe, Oakland;
• Brad Korn, Southeast Missouri State;
• Grant McCasland, North Texas;
• Robert McCullum, Florida A&M;
• Greg McDermott, Creighton;
• Niko Medved, Colorado State;
• Dan Monson, Long Beach State;
• Chris Mooney, Richmond;
• Nate Oats, Alabama;
• Matt Painter, Purdue;
• Brett Reed, Lehigh;
• Keith Richard, Louisiana-Monroe;
• Mark Slessinger, New Orleans;
• Craig Smith, Utah;
• G.G. Smith, High Point;
• Zach Spiker, Drexel;
• Danny Sprinkle, Montana State;
• Brett Tanner, Abilene Christian.