NEW YORK – For the second-straight year, Auburn men's basketball was ranked in the preseason Associated Press Top 25 Poll coming in at No. 15 on Monday.
The Tigers have now been ranked four times in the last five years in the preseason AP Poll: 2018 (No. 11), 2019 (No. 24) and 2021 (No. 22). They were also ranked in the preseason Top 25 by KenPom (No. 13), CBS Sports (No. 14), Blue Ribbon College Yearbook (No. 15), Rothstein 45 (No. 17), The Almanac (No. 18) and Andy Katz Preseason Power 36 (No. 24).
Junior guards Wendell Green Jr. (Detroit, Mich.) and K.D. Johnson (Atlanta, Ga.) are the team's top two returning scorers averaging 12.3 points and 12.0 points per game respectively in 2021-22.
Last season, the Tigers finished No. 8 in the final AP Poll after recording the third-most wins in program history with a 28-6 overall record, capturing a Southeastern Conference regular-season title and turning in their first undefeated season at home at Neville Arena (16-0).
AU also earned its first-ever No. 1 ranking in both national polls with two eventual first-round NBA Draft picks in All-Americans Jabari Smith and Walker Kessler.
2022-23 PRESEASON ASSOCIATED PRESS TOP 25 POLL
1. North Carolina
2. Gonzaga
3. Houston
4. Kentucky
T5. Baylor
T5. Kansas
7. Duke
8. UCLA
9. Creighton
10. Arkansas
11. Tennessee
12. Texas
13. Indiana
14. TCU
15. Auburn
16. Villanova
17. Arizona
18. Virginia
19. San Diego State
20. Alabama
21. Oregon
22. Michigan
23. Illinois
24. Dayton
25. Texas Tech