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The Preseason Men's Basketball AP Poll has finally released and features the Oklahoma Sooners as the nineteenth best team in the nation heading into the 2014-15 season. Three other schools from the Big XII find themselves inside the top 25 as well.
2014-15 AP Preseason Top 25
| Rank | Team | Record | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kentucky Wildcats (52) | 0-0 | 1604 |
| 2 | Arizona Wildcats (5) | 0-0 | 1518 |
| 3 | Wisconsin Badgers (8) | 0-0 | 1483 |
| 4 | Duke Blue Devils | 0-0 | 1415 |
| 5 | Kansas Jayhawks | 0-0 | 1346 |
| 6 | North Carolina Tar Heels | 0-0 | 1274 |
| 7 | Florida Gators | 0-0 | 1153 |
| 8 | Louisville Cardinals | 0-0 | 1114 |
| 9 | Virginia Cavaliers | 0-0 | 1090 |
| 10 | Texas Longhorns | 0-0 | 1061 |
| 11 | Wichita State Shockers | 0-0 | 1027 |
| 12 | Villanova Wildcats | 0-0 | 885 |
| 13 | Gonzaga Bulldogs | 0-0 | 840 |
| 14 | Iowa State Cyclones | 0-0 | 781 |
| 15 | Virginia Commonwealth Rams | 0-0 | 574 |
| 16 | San Diego State Aztecs | 0-0 | 560 |
| 17 | Connecticut Huskies | 0-0 | 552 |
| 18 | Michigan State Spartans | 0-0 | 521 |
| 19 | Oklahoma Sooners | 0-0 | 426 |
| 20 | Ohio State Buckeyes | 0-0 | 340 |
| 21 | Nebraska Cornhuskers | 0-0 | 309 |
| 22 | SMU Mustangs | 0-0 | 285 |
| 23 | Syracuse Orange | 0-0 | 178 |
| 24 | Michigan Wolverines | 0-0 | 167 |
| 25 | Utah Utes | 0-0 | 98 |
| Others Receiving Votes: Utah 98, Stanford 71, Iowa 58, Colorado 57, UCLA 35, Minnesota 34, Kansas St. 27, Arkansas 21, Pittsburgh 20, Memphis 15, N.C. State 14, Louisiana Tech 9, Cincinnati 8, LSU 8, Geo. Wash. 7, Oklahoma St. 6, Notre Dame 6, Dayton 6, Florida St. 5, Georgetown 5, Maryland 3, Illinois 3, UNLV 2, BYU 2, UTEP 1, S.F. Austin 1, Baylor 1, West Virginia 1 | |||
Buddy Hield Featured On CBS Sports Top 100 College Basketball Players
Checking in at No. 25 on the list, the 6-4 Buddy Hield returns not only as the Oklahoma Sooners' vocal leader, but also the leading scorer at 16.5 points per game. The expectation heading into 2014 from the coaching staff is for Hield to combine his attack mentality with his newly discovered range for a well-rounded game.
Check out the other 99 players listed.
During his first two seasons, Hield helped the Sooners to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances. Now, Oklahoma hopes to record their first post-season win under Lon Kruger. Assuming TaShawn Thomas receives immediate eligibility, the Sooners could dethrone Kansas while making a deep run into the tournament.