Men's Basketball Ranked Ninth in Preseason USA Today Coaches Poll
10/25/2022 1:22:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Team is also ranked 9th in preseason AP poll
OMAHA, Neb. --Â The Creighton University men's basketball team has earned the No. 9 spot in the preseason USA Today Coaches poll, released on Tuesday afternoon. It's the highest preseason ranking in the coaches poll in program history.
The Bluejays are one of two BIG EAST Conference teams represented, joining No. 17 Villanova. Creighton' will face the Wildcats twice and also play against No. 12 Texas and No. 24 Texas Tech. The Bluejays could also play No. 10 Arkansas and No. 20 San Diego State at the Maui Jim Maui Invitational. Other confirmed or potential teams that dot the Bluejay schedule and are receiving votes include Connecticut, Providence, Xavier and Ohio State.
North Carolina earned the top spot in the poll, earning 23-of-32 first-place votes to edge out Gonzaga by 19 points. The rest of the top-five consisted of Houston, Kentucky and Kansas. Creighton earned 500 points in the poll to rank ninth, just behind perennial powers UCLA and Duke.
This year's preseason hype is CU's fifth preseason ranking from the coaches in the last 20 seasons, and sixth occurrence all-time. CU was previously tabbed 19th in the preseason poll in 1962-63, 23rd in both 2006-07 and 2016-17, 15th in 2012-13 and 11th in 2020-21.
This is the 139th time in program history that Creighton has been ranked in the Coaches poll, and 97th week under the direction of Greg McDermott. The Bluejays were last ranked in the year-end poll of the 2020-21 campaign, coming in 14th. Creighton is 172-64 all-time when ranked in the Coaches poll, including a 121-44 mark under McDermott. Of Creighton's 16 different teams to be ranked in the Coaches poll, eight have been mentored by McDermott.
A spot in the top 25 of the preseason poll is no guarantee of success. Ten teams ranked in the preseason last year were not in the rankings at year's end (No. 5 Texas, No. 12 Oregon, No. 13 Alabama, No. 16 Memphis, No. 17 Ohio State, No. 19 Florida State, No. 21 Maryland, No. 23 Connecticut, No. 24 Saint Bonaventure and No. 25 Virginia). In the previous five seasons, 50 of the 125 ranked teams from the preseason were not ranked in the year-end poll.
Creighton was also ranked No. 9 in the preseason poll released on Tuesday by the Associated Press.
Creighton opens the season with an Oct. 30 exhibition vs. Drury before opening the regular-season on Nov. 7 against St. Thomas. Season and single-game tickets are now available at http://GoCreighton.com/buy.
USA Today Top 25 Coaches Poll
Preseason Poll • Oct. 25, 2022
Rk   School   W-L    PTS   LY
1Â Â Â North Carolina (23)Â Â Â 29-10Â Â Â 778Â Â Â 2
2Â Â Â Gonzaga (5)Â Â Â 28-4Â Â Â 759Â Â Â 5
3Â Â Â Houston (1) Â Â Â 32-6Â Â Â 713Â Â Â 7
4Â Â Â Kentucky (3)Â Â Â 26-8Â Â Â 697Â Â Â 16
5   Kansas    34-6   660   1
6   Baylor    27-7   632   9
7Â Â Â UCLA Â Â Â 27-8Â Â Â 560Â Â Â 11
8   Duke    32-7   552   3
9   Creighton    23-12   500   NR
10   Arkansas    28-9   498   8
11   Tennessee    27-8   486   15
12   Texas    22-12   449   NR
13   Arizona    33-4   352   6
14   Indiana    21-14   334   NR
15   Auburn    28-6   318   14
16Â Â Â TCU Â Â Â 21-13Â Â Â 317Â Â Â NR
17   Villanova    30-8   300   4
18   Virginia    21-14   287   NR
19   Alabama    19-14   176   NR
20   San Diego State    23-9   173   NR
21   Oregon    20-15   128   NR
22   Michigan    19-15   122   25
23   Illinois    23-10   115   19
24   Texas Tech    27-10   107   12
25   Dayton    24-11   75   NR
Others receiving votes: Purdue (29-8) 44; Texas A&M (27-13) 37; Connecticut (23-10) 31; Miami (Fla.) (26-11) 31; Michigan State (23-13) 29; Iowa (26-10) 22; Providence (27-6) 22; Florida State (17-14) 13; Syracuse (16-17) 13; Southern California (26-8) 9; Virginia Tech (23-13) 9; Saint Mary's (26-8) 8; Wisconsin (25-8) 7; Wyoming (25-9) 7; Alabama-Birmingham (27-8) 6; Florida (20-14) 5; Ohio State (20-12) 5; Iowa State (22-13) 4; Xavier (23-13) 3; Drake (25-11) 2; Rutgers (18-14) 2; Toledo (26-8) 2; Boise State (27-8) 1.
The Bluejays are one of two BIG EAST Conference teams represented, joining No. 17 Villanova. Creighton' will face the Wildcats twice and also play against No. 12 Texas and No. 24 Texas Tech. The Bluejays could also play No. 10 Arkansas and No. 20 San Diego State at the Maui Jim Maui Invitational. Other confirmed or potential teams that dot the Bluejay schedule and are receiving votes include Connecticut, Providence, Xavier and Ohio State.
North Carolina earned the top spot in the poll, earning 23-of-32 first-place votes to edge out Gonzaga by 19 points. The rest of the top-five consisted of Houston, Kentucky and Kansas. Creighton earned 500 points in the poll to rank ninth, just behind perennial powers UCLA and Duke.
This year's preseason hype is CU's fifth preseason ranking from the coaches in the last 20 seasons, and sixth occurrence all-time. CU was previously tabbed 19th in the preseason poll in 1962-63, 23rd in both 2006-07 and 2016-17, 15th in 2012-13 and 11th in 2020-21.
This is the 139th time in program history that Creighton has been ranked in the Coaches poll, and 97th week under the direction of Greg McDermott. The Bluejays were last ranked in the year-end poll of the 2020-21 campaign, coming in 14th. Creighton is 172-64 all-time when ranked in the Coaches poll, including a 121-44 mark under McDermott. Of Creighton's 16 different teams to be ranked in the Coaches poll, eight have been mentored by McDermott.
A spot in the top 25 of the preseason poll is no guarantee of success. Ten teams ranked in the preseason last year were not in the rankings at year's end (No. 5 Texas, No. 12 Oregon, No. 13 Alabama, No. 16 Memphis, No. 17 Ohio State, No. 19 Florida State, No. 21 Maryland, No. 23 Connecticut, No. 24 Saint Bonaventure and No. 25 Virginia). In the previous five seasons, 50 of the 125 ranked teams from the preseason were not ranked in the year-end poll.
Creighton was also ranked No. 9 in the preseason poll released on Tuesday by the Associated Press.
Creighton opens the season with an Oct. 30 exhibition vs. Drury before opening the regular-season on Nov. 7 against St. Thomas. Season and single-game tickets are now available at http://GoCreighton.com/buy.
USA Today Top 25 Coaches Poll
Preseason Poll • Oct. 25, 2022
Rk   School   W-L    PTS   LY
1Â Â Â North Carolina (23)Â Â Â 29-10Â Â Â 778Â Â Â 2
2Â Â Â Gonzaga (5)Â Â Â 28-4Â Â Â 759Â Â Â 5
3Â Â Â Houston (1) Â Â Â 32-6Â Â Â 713Â Â Â 7
4Â Â Â Kentucky (3)Â Â Â 26-8Â Â Â 697Â Â Â 16
5   Kansas    34-6   660   1
6   Baylor    27-7   632   9
7Â Â Â UCLA Â Â Â 27-8Â Â Â 560Â Â Â 11
8   Duke    32-7   552   3
9   Creighton    23-12   500   NR
10   Arkansas    28-9   498   8
11   Tennessee    27-8   486   15
12   Texas    22-12   449   NR
13   Arizona    33-4   352   6
14   Indiana    21-14   334   NR
15   Auburn    28-6   318   14
16Â Â Â TCU Â Â Â 21-13Â Â Â 317Â Â Â NR
17   Villanova    30-8   300   4
18   Virginia    21-14   287   NR
19   Alabama    19-14   176   NR
20   San Diego State    23-9   173   NR
21   Oregon    20-15   128   NR
22   Michigan    19-15   122   25
23   Illinois    23-10   115   19
24   Texas Tech    27-10   107   12
25   Dayton    24-11   75   NR
Others receiving votes: Purdue (29-8) 44; Texas A&M (27-13) 37; Connecticut (23-10) 31; Miami (Fla.) (26-11) 31; Michigan State (23-13) 29; Iowa (26-10) 22; Providence (27-6) 22; Florida State (17-14) 13; Syracuse (16-17) 13; Southern California (26-8) 9; Virginia Tech (23-13) 9; Saint Mary's (26-8) 8; Wisconsin (25-8) 7; Wyoming (25-9) 7; Alabama-Birmingham (27-8) 6; Florida (20-14) 5; Ohio State (20-12) 5; Iowa State (22-13) 4; Xavier (23-13) 3; Drake (25-11) 2; Rutgers (18-14) 2; Toledo (26-8) 2; Boise State (27-8) 1.
Meet the Jays - MBB Blake Harper
Friday, August 15
Meet the Jays - MBB Austin Swartz
Friday, August 15
Meet the Jays - MBB Jasen Green
Friday, August 15
Meet the Jays - MBB Ty Davis
Friday, August 15
