Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern Ranked No. 19 in Associated Press Preseason Poll
11/1/2017 11:44:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Complete Rankings
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern is ranked No. 19 in the Associated Press Preseason Top 25 men's college basketball poll released Wednesday.
It is the first time that the Wildcats have been ranked in the AP preseason poll.
NU is the third-highest rated Big Ten Conference team in the poll, coming in behind No. 2 Michigan State and No. 15 Minnesota. Purdue is ranked right behind the Wildcats, coming in a No. 20.
Previously, the Wildcats came in at No. 20 in this year's USA Today Preseason Coaches Poll, the team's first-ever appearance in that particular poll.
Northwestern returns four starters and 10 letterwinners overall from last year's team that posted a school-record 24 victories and earned the program's first NCAA tournament berth and victory.
Each of the Wildcats' top five scorers return, including senior guard Bryant McIntosh who posted a team-best 14.8 points per game a year ago while leading the Big Ten with an average of 5.2 assists per contest. A consensus second-team All-Big Ten pick in 2016-17, McIntosh is joined on this year's Preseason All-Big Ten team by fellow senior guard Scottie Lindsey. Lindsey was named third-team all-conference by the league's head coaches last season while ranking second on the squad with an average of 14.1 points per game.
The Wildcats earned a No. 25 AP ranking Jan. 30 of last season, the team's first national ranking in seven years. Northwestern highest ranking ever in the AP poll is No. 6 on Dec. 16, 1958 and again two weeks later on Dec. 30.
NU opens its 2017-18 season Nov. 10 when it hosts Loyola (Md.) at Allstate Arena in Rosemont.
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern is ranked No. 19 in the Associated Press Preseason Top 25 men's college basketball poll released Wednesday.
It is the first time that the Wildcats have been ranked in the AP preseason poll.
NU is the third-highest rated Big Ten Conference team in the poll, coming in behind No. 2 Michigan State and No. 15 Minnesota. Purdue is ranked right behind the Wildcats, coming in a No. 20.
Previously, the Wildcats came in at No. 20 in this year's USA Today Preseason Coaches Poll, the team's first-ever appearance in that particular poll.
Northwestern returns four starters and 10 letterwinners overall from last year's team that posted a school-record 24 victories and earned the program's first NCAA tournament berth and victory.
Each of the Wildcats' top five scorers return, including senior guard Bryant McIntosh who posted a team-best 14.8 points per game a year ago while leading the Big Ten with an average of 5.2 assists per contest. A consensus second-team All-Big Ten pick in 2016-17, McIntosh is joined on this year's Preseason All-Big Ten team by fellow senior guard Scottie Lindsey. Lindsey was named third-team all-conference by the league's head coaches last season while ranking second on the squad with an average of 14.1 points per game.
The Wildcats earned a No. 25 AP ranking Jan. 30 of last season, the team's first national ranking in seven years. Northwestern highest ranking ever in the AP poll is No. 6 on Dec. 16, 1958 and again two weeks later on Dec. 30.
NU opens its 2017-18 season Nov. 10 when it hosts Loyola (Md.) at Allstate Arena in Rosemont.
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