For the first time since 2011-12, four Big 12 men’s basketball squads are ranked in the Associated Press preseason top 25 poll. No. 5 Kansas, No. 10 Texas, No. 14 Iowa State and No. 19 Oklahoma were all placed in the season’s first ranking, while four other league squads – Baylor, Kansas State, Oklahoma State and West Virginia also received votes. That’s 80 percent of the league – the highest percentage of any conference in the nation.

Kansas has been ranked in the preseason poll in all but one season in Big 12 history. The ranking for Texas marks the first time the Horns have appeared in the AP preseason poll since the 2009-10 season, when UT began the year at No. 3.

The No. 14 ranking is the Cyclones’ highest preseason ranking since the 1996-97 season, when ISU was ranked No. 9 entering the season. It is just the fourth time in school history that the Cyclones have been ranked in the preseason top 25. For Oklahoma, it is the Sooners’ first placement since checking in at No. 17 in the 2009-10 preseason rankings.

Overall, the eight Big 12 teams ranked or receiving votes is the third-most of any conference in the nation. The ACC and Big Ten - with 15 and 14 members, respectively - checked in with nine teams each, just one more than the Big 12. The Big 12 has had at least three teams in the preseason AP poll every year since 1999-2000 and all but one campaign in league history. A year ago, seven teams were ranked in the top 25 at some point – more than any conference in the country.

Preseason Associated Press Top 25 Men's Basketball Poll

1. Kentucky (52)
2. Arizona (5)
3. Wisconsin (8)
4. Duke
5. KANSAS
6. North Carolina
7. Florida
8. Louisville
9. Virginia
10. TEXAS
11. Wichita State
12. Villanova
13. Gonzaga
14. IOWA STATE
15. VCU
16. San Diego State
17. Connecticut
18. Michigan State
19. OKLAHOMA
20. Ohio State
21. Nebraska
22. SMU
23. Syracuse
24. Michigan
25. Harvard
25. Utah

ARV: K-State (27 points), Oklahoma State (6), Baylor (1), West Virginia (1)