Preseason AP Top 25 college basketball poll heading into the 2023-24 season feat. Duke, UNC, UConn and more

The 2023-2024 preseason AP Top 25 college basketball poll released on Monday, with the regular season set to tip off in just under a month.

Two blue blood programs that are annual national title contenders head the AP's 2023-24 preseason college basketball poll, but last year's national champion, Connecticut, has fallen out of the top five.

Kansas, which won the national title, its fourth, two years ago, leads the rankings. Five-time champion Duke, which last won it in 2015, is second. Last year's champ, Connecticut, enters this season at No. 6.

The Huskies, though, didn't have a single preseason vote at this time a year ago but romped through the NCAA tournament with six double-digit wins.

Check out the full rankings below:

1. Kansas Jayhawks

2. Duke Blue Devils

3. Purdue Boilermakers

4. Michigan State Spartans

5. Marquette Golden Eagles

6. UConn Huskies

7. Houston Cougars

8. Creighton Bluejays

9. Tennessee Volunteers

10. Florida Atlantic Owls

11. Gonzaga Bulldogs

12. Arizona Wildcats

13. Miami (FL) Hurricanes

14. Arkansas Razorbacks

15. Texas A&M Aggies

16. Kentucky Wildcats

17. San Diego State Aztecs

18. Texas Longhorns

19. North Carolina Tar Heels

20. Baylor Bears

21. USC Trojans

22. Villanova Wildcats

23. Saint Mary's Gaels

24. Alabama Crimson Tide

25. Illinois Fighting Illini

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What were the biggest surprises from the preseason AP Top 25 college basketball poll?

Perhaps the biggest surprise from the preseason AP Top 25 college basketball poll is the Kentucky Wildcats being ranked just 16th. While the Wildcats lost four of their top five scorers to the 2023 NBA draft, John Calipari brought in a stacked recruiting class to replace them.

Kentucky has the top-ranked 2023 recruiting class, headlined by four five-star prospects and one four-star prospect. Although they could take time to gel, seeing Calipari's squad, which is filled with talent, ranked this low in the preseason poll is a huge shocker.

The defending national champion UConn Huskies falling out of the top-five is another shocker. While UConn also lost talent to the 2023 NBA draft, they brought in the nation's fourth-ranked 2023 recruiting class. Although they may not deserve the top spot, it's surprising to see the reloaded defending national champions outside the top-five.

Meanwhile, the USC Trojans seem to have benefited from a strong recruiting class. Despite being unranked all season last year, the Trojans will begin the year ranked 21st in the nation. While they landed top overall recruit Isaiah Collier and have the nation's third-best incoming class, the status of Bronny James (heart surgery) looms large.

Finally, the UCLA Bruins being left out of the rankings altogether is yet another shocker. UCLA was ranked seventh in the final AP Top 25 poll last season and reached the Sweet 16. Furthermore, its recruiting class ranked 13th. While a slip was expected, it's surprising to see the Bruins out of the rankings altogether.