After a stunning exit in the 2023 NCAA Tournament, Purdue will start the season ranked No. 2 in the Coaches Poll. Released Monday, the poll features Kansas as the No. 1 team with a 23-5 edge over the Boilermakers in first-place votes. No. 3 Duke and No. 5 Uconn also received first-place votes from the 32 participating Division l head coaches.
Purdue returns all five starters, including reigning national player of the year Zach Edey from a team that finished 29-6 overall and 15-5 in Big Ten play last season. Edey is joined by Braden Smith, Fletcher Loyer, Ethan Morton and Mason Gillis in the starting lineup. Purdue by virtue of a loss to Fairleigh Dickinson, became the second No. 1 seed in NCAA Tournament history to lose in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament to a No. 16 seed.
The Jayhawks, who also ranked No. 1 in the AP Top 25 Poll released on the same day, returns three starters in Dajuan Harris Jr., Kevin McCullar Jr. and KJ Adams Jr. Kansas added the top-ranked transfer in former Michigan center Hunter Dickinson and he should be a contender to dethrone Edey for national player of the year. The Jayhawks season ended early with a loss to Arkansas in the second round as coach Bill Self missed the entire NCAA Tournament due to a heart issue.
Reigning national champion UConn, starts the season ranked No. 5 behind Kansas, Purdue, Duke and Michigan State. The Huskies play Kansas at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kansas on Dec. 5.
Preseason Coaches Poll
- Kansas (23)
- Purdue (5)
- Duke (3)
- Michigan State
- UConn (1)
- Houston
- Marquette
- Creighton
- FAU
- Tennessee
- Arizona
- Gonzaga
- Miami (FL)
- Arkansas
- San Diego State
- Kentucky
- Baylor
- Texas
- Texas A&M
- Villanova
- North Carolina
- USC
- Saint Mary's
- Alabama
- UCLA
Others receiving votes: Illinois 45; Wisconsin 43; Maryland 29; TCU 26; Colorado 21; Xavier 17; Ohio State 16; Virginia 13; St. John's 13; Kansas State 8; Indiana 7; Washington 5; Florida 5; Auburn 5; Missouri 4; Oregon 3; Memphis 3; Mississippi State 2; Iowa State 2; Yale 1; Boise State 1;