Arizona men’s basketball No. 12 in preseason Associated Press poll

Arizona Wildcats men’s basketball will begin the 2023-24 season just outside the top 10 with many opportunities to prove they are among the nation’s best

Arizona is ranked No. 12 in the Associated Press preseason poll, its highest ranking to start the season since starting at No. 3 in the 2017-2018 season.

The UA is coming off a 28-7 season that resulted in a Pac-12 Tournament title but a disappointing NCAA Tournament first round exit to No. 15 seed Princeton.

The No. 12 ranking is the best among the Pac-12, with USC as the only other conference member ranked at No. 21. Colorado and UCLA start right outside the top 25, earning the second and third-most receiving votes.

Kansas is the preseason No. 1, earning 46 of 63 first-place votes.

Arizona’s non-conference schedule is a who’s who of the nation’s top-ranked teams.

Arizona opens the season at home Nov. 6 against Morgan State. The Wildcats will face at least x ranked opponents in non-conference play, beginning with No. 2 Duke Nov. 10 in Durham. Other non-league opponents ranked in the top 25 are No. 3 Purdue, No. 4 Michigan State, No. 10 Florida Atlantic and No. 24 Alabama. Wisconsin, another non-conference opponent, is the top receiving votes getter.