Texas Longhorns Ranked No. 5 in College Basketball AP Preseason Top-25
Texas Longhorns men's basketball will begin the upcoming season as the No. 5 team in the country, according to the official AP preseason top-25 release on Monday.
The ranking marks Texas' highest preseason AP-ranking since the 2009-2010 season when the Longhorns were ranked No. 3 in the country. It's also the first time in program history that Texas has been ranked in the preseason top-25 with a first-year head coach.
The Texas men's basketball program went through a total reconstruction over the offseason, as the addition of head coach Chris Beard and eight new transfers has brought an entirely new look for Texas hoops.
Here's a look at the top 10 teams in the preseason top-25.
1. Gonzaga Bulldogs
2. UCLA Bruins
4. Villanova Wildcats
5. Texas Longhorns
7. Purdue Boilermakers
8. Baylor Bears
9. Duke Blue Devils
The Longhorns are amongst an elite group of programs on the list, with a handful of these teams set to match up with the burnt orange in the upcoming season.
In the second game of the season, Texas will take on the No. 1-ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs on Nov. 13 on the road in Spokane, Wash. for what should be one of the most exciting games of the regular season. The Bulldogs went undefeated last season for almost all of last season before suffering their first defeat in the national championship game against the Baylor Bears.
Additionally, the Longhorns have two conference matchups set with No. 3 Kansas at home on Feb. 7 and on the road on March 5. Texas will also face No. 8 Baylor two separate times on Feb. 12 in Waco and Feb. 28 at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin.
The Longhorns have another potential top-25 matchup on tap when the Tennessee Volunteers and former Texas head coach Rick Barnes come to Austin on Jan. 29 for the Big 12/SEC Challenge.
Texas begins its season at home on Nov. 9 against Houston Baptist.
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