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As sure a sign as any that the season is finally upon us, USA Today released its preseason coaches poll on Thursday morning, with Gonzaga one of three mid-majors to make the cut.
The Bulldogs came in at No. 13 overall, with West Coast Conference rival St. Mary’s not far behind at 19. Rhode Island starts the year at No. 24 out of the Atlantic 10.
In addition to those three, Dayton, San Diego State, Wichita State, VCU, Yale, Chattanooga, Nevada, Davidson, and Valparaiso all received votes.
The nation’s top mid-majors will each have a chance to make an early statement to try and improve their ranking — Gonzaga plays San Diego State as part of ESPN’s Tip-Off Marathon during the season’s opening week, while St. Mary’s hosts Nevada on opening night, and Rhode Island faces Cincinnati on Nov. 19.
Duke got the nod at No. 1 with 27 first-place votes. No. 2 Kansas (1), No. 3 Villanova (1), No. 4 Kentucky (2) and No. 5 Oregon (1) also received first-place votes.
The full USA Today preseason coaches poll can be found below:
| RANK | TEAM | RECORD | POINTS | 1ST |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Duke | 0-0 | 792 | 27 |
| 2 | Kansas | 0-0 | 721 | 1 |
| 3 | Villanova | 0-0 | 700 | 1 |
| 4 | Kentucky | 0-0 | 695 | 2 |
| 5 | Oregon | 0-0 | 620 | 1 |
| 6 | North Carolina | 0-0 | 614 | 0 |
| 7 | Virginia | 0-0 | 596 | 0 |
| 8 | Xavier | 0-0 | 552 | 0 |
| 9 | Michigan St | 0-0 | 544 | 0 |
| 10 | Wisconsin | 0-0 | 487 | 0 |
| 11 | Arizona | 0-0 | 468 | 0 |
| 12 | Indiana | 0-0 | 435 | 0 |
| 13 | Gonzaga | 0-0 | 371 | 0 |
| 14 | Louisville | 0-0 | 367 | 0 |
| 15 | Purdue | 0-0 | 324 | 0 |
| 16 | Connecticut | 0-0 | 239 | 0 |
| 17 | Syracuse | 0-0 | 224 | 0 |
| 18 | West Virginia | 0-0 | 204 | 0 |
| 19 | St. Mary's | 0-0 | 203 | 0 |
| 20 | UCLA | 0-0 | 185 | 0 |
| 21 | Maryland | 0-0 | 153 | 0 |
| 22 | Texas | 0-0 | 124 | 0 |
| 23 | Creighton | 0-0 | 113 | 0 |
| 24 | Rhode Island | 0-0 | 85 | 0 |
| 25 | Cincinnati | 0-0 | 75 | 0 |
| Others Receiving Votes: Florida State 65; Iowa State 56; California 43; Miami (Fla.) 35; Dayton 34; Oklahoma 33; Seton Hall 24; Texas A&M 22; Notre Dame 18; San Diego State 17; Virginia Tech 16; Wichita State 15; Southern California 14; Butler 14; Ohio State 12; Florida 11; Clemson 11; Colorado 11; Michigan 10; Pittsburgh 7; Georgia 6; Virginia Commonwealth 6; Yale 6; Chattanooga 5; Washington 4; Nevada 3; Kansas State 3; Arkansas 2; Davidson 2; Valparaiso 2; Southern Methodist 1; Utah 1. | ||||