Marks the 18th time in the last 19 years that Cats will open the season with a national ranking
TUCSON, Ariz. ?- The University of Arizona men's basketball team will open the season as the nation's ninth-ranked team according to the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll, which released its 2005-06 preseason college basketball poll on Friday.
With 10 squadmen returning from last season's 30-7 ballclub that claimed the Pac-10 championship and advanced to the NCAA Tournament’s Chicago Regional final, Arizona collected the preseason No. 9 ranking from the coaches with a total of 532 points. Duke, Connecticut, Texas, Villanova and Michigan State occupied the top five places.
It marks the 18th time in the last 19 years in which Arizona has been nationally ranked in the first poll of the season by the coaches. The only break in that streak came to start the 2001-02 campaign.
The Wildcats open the regular season on Monday, Nov. 21, against Kansas at the EA Sports Maui Invitational. The game can be seen nationally on ESPN beginning at 4 p.m. HST.
Arizona could face a total of six opponents are ranked in the 2005-06 ESPN/USA Today preseason poll. In addition to Pac-10 foes Stanford (No. 13) and UCLA (Tie No. 18), four potential opponents at the EA Sports Maui Invitational are also ranked: Connecticut (No. 2), Michigan State (No. 5), Gonzaga (No. 7) and Maryland (No. 21).
2005-06 Preseason ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll
Rnk Team (first place votes) Points Last
1. Duke (28) 767 7
2. Connecticut 692 17
3. Texas (2) 683 NR
4. Villanova (1) 644 13
5. Michigan State 632 4
6. Oklahoma 617 20
7. Gonzaga 540 18
8. Louisville 536 3
9. ARIZONA 532 6
10. Kentucky 511 5
11. Boston College 484 19
12. Memphis 354 NR
13. Stanford 331 NR
14. Alabama 295 NR
15. West Virginia 265 12
16. Syracuse 210 21
17. Illinois 201 2
18. UCLA 190 NR
Wake Forest 190 11
20. Iowa 176 NR
21. Maryland 167 NR
22. Indiana 153 NR
23. Iowa State 118 NR
24. George Washington 109 NR
25. Nevada 88 NR
