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Cats open regular season on Nov. 12 at Virginia
TUCSON, Ariz. ?- The University of Arizona men's basketball team will open the season as the nation's 10th-ranked team according to the Associated Press, which released its 2006-07 preseason college basketball poll on Monday.
With 11 squadmen returning from last season's 20-13 team that advanced to the NCAA Tournament’s second round, Arizona collected the preseason No. 1 ranking from the media with a total of 1,157 points. Florida, North Carolina, Kansas, Pittsburgh and Louisiana State occupied the top five places.
It marks the 18th time in the last 20 years in which Arizona has been nationally ranked in the first poll of the season by the media. The only breaks in that streak came in the preseason 1995-96 and 2001-02 polls.
The Wildcats open the regular season on Sunday, Nov. 12, at Virginia. The game can be seen on FSN Arizona beginning at 7 p.m. EST.
Four opponents on Arizona’s 2006-07 are also ranked in the AP poll. Pac-10 foes UCLA (No. 6) and Washington (No. 17) dot the poll, as do North Carolina (No. 2) and Memphis (No. 14).
2006-07 Preseason Associated Press Poll
Nov. 6, 2006
Rnk Team (first-place votes) Points Last
1. Florida (63) 1,788 11
2. North Carolina (9) 1,704 10
3. Kansas 1,636 12
4. Pittsburgh 1,407 16
5. Louisiana State 1,399 19
6. UCLA 1,394 7
7. Ohio State 1,391 6
8. Georgetown 1,271 23
9. Wisconsin 1,197 NR
10. ARIZONA 1,157 NR
11. Alabama 1,106 NR
12. Duke 1,051 1
13. Texas A&M 868 NR
14. Memphis 811 4
15. Boston College 772 7
16. Marquette 554 NR
17. Washington 487 17
18. Connecticut 399 2
19. Creighton 384 NR
20. Syracuse 367 21
21. Texas 366 9
22. Kentucky 332 NR
23. Georgia Tech 262 NR
24. Nevada 212 20
25. Tennessee 203 18
