Arizona is ranked 10th in the Associated Press Top 25 released on Monday. Arizona is one of five Big XII teams ranked in the top 10. Kansas is first in the preseason AP Top 25 with 1,449 points and 30 first-place votes. The other Big XII teams in the AP Top 10 are Houston, Iowa State and Baylor.
Arizona received 905 points in the preseason AP Top 25. Houston is fourth in the preseason AP Top 25 with 1,343 points and four first-place votes. Iowa State is fifth with 1,177 points and Baylor is ninth with 1,109 points. Cincinnati who is 20th with 271 points is the only other Big XII team in the preseason AP Top 25.
Duke who Arizona hosts on November 22 is seventh in the AP Top 25 with 1,154 points. Indiana who on the opposite side of the Battle 4 Atlantis Bracket from Arizona is ranked 17th with 492 points. Wisconsin who hosts Arizona on November 15 was among the other teams receiving votes.
Arizona is in the preseason rankings for the third season in a row under Tommy Lloyd. The Wildcats were ranked 17th in the preseason poll two years ago and 12th last year. Pac-12 Player of the Year Caleb Love is the only returning starter for Arizona entering the 2024-25 season.
AP Preseason #🔟 pic.twitter.com/5KC5mf3ycV
— Arizona Basketball (@ArizonaMBB) October 14, 2024
Guards Jaden Bradley and K.J. Lewis who were a key part of the rotation in 2023-24 return for Arizona this season. Oakland power forward Trey Townsend and Campbell wing Anthony Dell'Orso are projected as key players for Arizona in 2024-25. Townsend will start for Arizona as the replacement for Keshad Johnson.
Arizona was picked fifth in the Big XII by conference beat writers to match where their place in the AP Top 25. Arizona plays Baylor and Iowa State twice and Houston and Kansas once during their inaugural season in the Big XII. The Big XII should challenge Arizona far more than the Pac-12 did in recent seasons.