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The AP released their preseason Top 25 poll today, and as expected, the team from Durham, North Carolina is at the top of their list. This should come as no surprise, considering the squad Coach K has on his hands. Besides names like Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith, there’s an infusion of young talent with names like Kyrie Irving and Seth Curry. Not only is Duke the reigning National Champs, they’re also the favorite to win it again in 2011 (6-1 odds).

The Blue Devils also received 55 first place votes (out of 65). Michigan State received eight and Kansas State closed it out with two. This also comprises your top three, and for K-State, it’s their highest preseason ranking ever. Some, however, disagree with that version of Wildcats being ranked so high. Good thing college basketball decides these things on the court.

Anyway, your 2010/11 Preseason Top 25:

1. Duke (55)
2. Michigan State (8)
3. Kansas State (2)
4. Ohio State
5. Pittsburgh
6. Villanova
7. Kansas
8. North Carolina
9. Florida
10. Syracuse
11. Kentucky
12. Gonzaga
13. Illinois
14. Purdue
15. Missouri
16. Baylor
17. Butler
18. Washington
19. Memphis
20. Georgetown
21. Virginia Tech
22. Temple
23. Tennessee
24. BYU
25. San Diego

The conference breakdown is as follows:

ACC – three teams (Duke, Carolina, Virginia Tech)
Big 10 – four teams (Michigan State, Ohio State, Illinois, Purdue)
Big 12 – four teams (Kansas State, Kansas, Missouri, Baylor)
Big East – four teams (Pittsburgh, Villanova, Syracuse, Georgetown)
SEC – three teams (Florida, Kentucky, Tennessee)
Pac-10 – one team (Washington)

Which leaves six “non-BCS” schools in the top 25, including Gonzaga, Butler, Memphis, Temple, BYU and San Diego State.

The preseason basketball polls hit the streets today — both AP and the ESPN Coaches’ Poll — and the Kansas Jayhawks are your consensus number one team in the land heading into the 2009/10 season. With good reason, too: Bill Self’s team is loaded with talent and experience. Expectations are obviously high in Lawrence, especially after last year’s unexpected success — Kansas finished one win away from returning to the Final Four. If they can stop fighting with the football team long enough to mesh as a team, the Jayhawks will be in a position for a great season.

Rounding out the ESPN’s top 10 are the following:

1. Kansas (27)
2. Michigan State (3)
3. Texas
4. North Carolina (1)
5. Kentucky
6. Villanova
7. Purdue
8. Duke
9. West Virginia
10. Butler

The AP’s top ten doesn’t look much different from ESPN’s

1.Kansas
2.Michigan St
3.Texas
4.Kentucky
5.Villanova
6.North Carolina
7.Purdue
8.West Virginia
9.Duke
10.Tennessee

Perhaps the biggest surprise is Duke and West Virginia, although, there’s plenty of time to sort this mess out. And hey, having an actual tournament to decide who is the best in the land — a novel idea, I know — means these rankings aren’t the end all/be all, unlike, say, college football.

Now that we are in November, voting is a hot-button issue. This not only includes presidential elections but college football as well. The polls are the key component of college football — we wouldn’t have a postseason without them. That’s why it’s a good thing when those making the votes are as informed as they can be, much like tomorrow’s Presidential election. If that’s the case, what in the world explains the behavior of Bret Bloomquist from the El Paso Times?

In his version of this week’s AP Poll, he has the University of Louisville ranked 18th in the nation.

The same Louisville Cardinals who lost to Syracuse, a team noted for it’s “badness.” In the preseason polls, the Orange were ranked in the bowels of college football, sharing space with teams like Toledo and Western Michigan.

The 2-6 regular season simply confirmed what everyone was thinking.

While Bloomquist’s top five is pretty much in step with the rest of the country, the inclusion of Louisville makes everything else questionable. The Cardinals over West Virginia and Pitt? Really? They aren’t even ahead of them in the Big East. Why should that be so in a national poll? I mean, a case for Ball State ahead of someone like Ohio State can be made — although the BCS doesn’t agree — but Louisville?

The 18th team in the country? Color me confused. Apparently, 5-3 records are awfully appealing when you are in a hurry to get done.