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How a team performs in the preseason is much less importantthan how it finishes.
UConn Huskies men’s basketball coach Dan Hurley undoubtedlywould agree with that statement.
So there couldn’t have been any fretting in theUConn practice gym on Monday afternoon when the Huskies learned they held theNo. 4 position in the Associated Press Top 25 preseason poll.
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Some preseason recognition and the right to brag a bit alwaysis nice, but in no way does a No. 1 ranking forecast who will cut down the netsin April.
All 25 teams in the poll find themselves in the samesituation. Will the No. 20 team in the preseason really end in that spot in thepostseason? Probably not. Will No. 1 Florida win the national championship?
Head coach Todd Golden’s Florida Gators were named the No. 1 team in the Associated Press Top 25 [poll, released Monday. Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images
Florida dominated the balloting in the poll, garnering 47 of the 59first-place votes. Duke was No. 2 (10 votes), followed by Illinois (two votes),UConn and Arizona to round out the top five.
It’s a familiar bunch, with all but Florida reachingthe Final Four last season. Michigan, the defending national champion afterdefeating UConn in the title game in April, enters as preseason No. 16 afterthe loss of key players and head coach Dusty May.
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So exactly how do the AP voters – select sportswritersand broadcasters – come up with their top 25 teams when they have yet to seethem in regular-season action?
A 2023Associated Press story addressed that question with the focus on football, butit’s the same principle for men’s and women’s basketball, most likely.
The main consideration, per the AP article, is thenumber and quality of returning starters “but only if the team was good the previousseason.” Comings and goings in the transfer portal, as well as the abilities ofthe coaching staff, also come into play.
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Three voters interviewed said they also considerinformation taken from computerized rankings,…
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Publish date : 2026-10-20 03:52:00
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