The preseason USA TODAY/ESPN Top 25 Coaches Poll was announced Thursday with the North Carolina Tar Heels being slotted as the overwhelming No. 1 team in the country after receiving 30 of 31 first-place votes. North Carolina, which returns all five starters from 2010, is one spot ahead of the Kentucky Wildcats, which were not voted lower than No. 6 in any ballot submitted.
Four Southeastern Conference teams made the poll including Kentucky (No. 2), Vanderbilt (No. 7), the Florida Gators (No. 10) and Alabama (No. 17).
The 2010-11 Gators were ranked No. 11 heading into last season, which saw them win the SEC and end the year with a record of 29-8 (13-3 SEC) that included an appearance in the Elite Eight round of the 2011 NCAA Tournament.
Athlete | Country | Sport |
---|---|---|
Mark Kolozsvary | USA | Baseball |
Marife Torres | Puerto Rico | Golf |
Leanne Wong | USA | Gymnastics |
Adriana Leon | Canada | Soccer |
Deanne Rose | Canada | Soccer |
Michelle Moultrie | USA | Softball |
Aubree Munro | USA | Softball |
Kelsey Stewart | USA | Softball |
Caeleb Dressel | USA | Swimming 4x100 free 100m free 50m free |
Amro Al-Wir | Jordan | Swimming 200 breast |
Natalie Hinds | USA | Swimming 4x100 free |
Bobby Finke | USA | Swimming 800m free 1500m free |
Eric Friese | Germany | Swimming 4x100 free |
Enzo Martinez | Uruguay | Swimming 50m free |
Alfonso Mestre | Venezuela | Swimming 800m free |
Kieran Smith | USA | Swimming 400m free 200m free 4x200 free |
Andres Arroyo | Puerto Rico | T&F 800m |
Doneisha Anderson | Bahamas | T&F 4x400 relay |
Lloydricia Cameron | Jamaica | T&F Shot put |
Will Claye | USA | T&F Triple jump |
Marquis Dendy | USA | T&F Long jump |
Yanis David | France | T&F Triple jump Long jump |
Joseph Fahnbulleh | Liberia | T&F 200m |
Grant Holloway | USA | T&F 110m hurdles |
Genevive LaCaze | Australia | T&F 3000m steeple |
Eddie Lovett | U.S. Virgin | T&F 110m hurdles |
Taylor Mason | USA | T&F |
Cory McGee | USA | T&F 1500m |
Hakim Sani Brown | Japan | T&F 200m |
Marija Vucenovic | Serbia | T&F Javelin |
USA TODAY/ESPN COACHES POLL
Preseason 1-5: North Carolina (30), Kentucky (1), Ohio State, Connecticut, Syracuse
6-10: Duke, Vanderbilt, Louisville, Memphis, Florida
11-15: Pittsburgh, Baylor, Kansas, Wisconsin, Xavier
16-20: Arizona, Alabama, Michigan, Texas A&M, UCLA
21-25: Marquette, Cincinnati, Gonzaga, California, Missouri
*Numbers in parenthesis represent first-place votes.
Way too high IMO. I was thinking around #25 to start the season.