Indiana Tops Preseason Coaches Poll

The college basketball coaching fraternity, for the most part, is on the same page with fans and media alike: Indiana is a modest favorite to cut down the nets in March.

The coaches cobbled together their guesswork for the upcoming college basketball season on Wednesday, unveiling the preseason USA Today Coaches Poll for the rest of us to quibble about.

There are no surprises at the top, with Indiana, Louisville and Kentucky heading the poll. At the bottom,  Saint Louis, VCU, Cincinnati and Murray State all narrowly missed the cut, while Florida State and Texas [somewhat surprisingly] snuck in.

Last year’s No. 1 team in the preseason coaches poll, North Carolina, ultimately fell short of expectations, losing to Kansas in the Elite Eight. The ’08-’09 Tar Heels were the last national championship team to begin the year ranked at the top of the preseason coaches poll. Connecticut (’03-’04) and Florida (’06-’07) were the only other teams in the last decade to headline the preseason coaches poll and win the national championship.

Connecticut (’10-’11) and Florida (’05-’06) are the only two teams since the inception of the coaches poll to win a national title after starting the season unranked in the poll.

The complete coaches poll is as follows: