Preseason Men's Basketball Poll Announced
Nov. 4, 1999
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Miami men’s basketball teamdebuted at No. 24 in the preseason ESPN/USA Today college basketball top-25poll released Thursday evening.
The preseason ranking is the first for the Hurricanes since the1964-65 season when Miami opened the season ranked 16th in the nation byUnited Press International.
Miami returns eight letterwinners, including four starters, fromlast season’s 23-7 squad that advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the secondconsecutive season and ended the season ranked 10th in the final AssociatedPress poll and tied for 12th in the season ending ESPN/USA Today poll.
Last season Miami was ranked as high as No. 9 in the AssociatedPress and No. 10 in the ESPN/USA Today college basketball polls. The highestranking in school history came on March 1, 1960 when the Hurricanes reachedNo. 8 in the Associated Press poll.
The Hurricanes are one of four BIG EAST teams in the preseasontop-25. Connecticut, the defending national champion, received ninefirst-place votes to open the season at No. 1. Syracuse, which returns allfive starters from last season’s 21-12 team, checks in at No. 17 while St.John’s, which advanced to the Final Eight at last season’s NCAAChampionship, opens at No. 19.
The preseason Associated Press college basketball poll will bereleased Monday, November 8.
The Hurricane men’s basketball team will conclude its exhibitionschedule on Nov. 11 against Upstate Basketball at 7 p.m. in the KnightSports Complex on the UM campus. Admission is free.
Miami opens the regular season on Nov. 19 at 7:30 p.m. againstCentral Florida in Orlando. The Hurricanes home opener will tip-off at 7:30p.m. on Nov. 23 against Monmouth in the Miami Arena.
For ticket information contact the Hurricane ticket office at305-284-CANES in Dade County or 1-800-GO-CANES.
ESPN/USA Today Preseason Top 25 (First Place Votes)
| Rk | Team | Record | Pts |
| 1. | Connecticut (9) | 34-2 | 712 |
| 2. | Michigan State (8) | 33-5 | 688 |
| 3. | Cincinnati (8) | 27-6 | 684 |
| 4. | Auburn | 29-4 | 616 |
| 5. | North Carolina | 24-10 | 594 |
| 6. | Ohio State (2) | 27-9 | 579 |
| 7. | Temple (2) | 24-11 | 574 |
| 8. | Florida | 22-9 | 570 |
| 9. | Arizona | 22-7 | 492 |
| 10. | Duke | 37-2 | 466 |
| 11. | Kansas | 23-10 | 381 |
| 12. | Kentucky | 28-9 | 361 |
| 13. | Stanford | 26-7 | 349 |
| 14. | UCLA | 22-9 | 345 |
| 15. | Utah | 28-5 | 283 |
| 16. | Tennessee | 21-9 | 277 |
| 17. | Syracuse | 21-12 | 276 |
| 18. | Illinois | 14-18 | 275 |
| 19. | St. John’s | 28-9 | 256 |
| 20. | DePaul | 18-13 | 177 |
| 21. | Purdue | 21-13 | 171 |
| 22. | Texas | 19-13 | 157 |
| 23. | Maryland | 28-6 | 140 |
| 24. | MIAMI (FL) | 23-7 | 118 |
| 25. | Oklahoma State | 23-11 | 102 |
OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: Gonzaga 89, Wake Forest 43, Indiana 40,Oklahoma 31, Louisville 28, Georgia Tech 26, North Carolina State 22,Arkansas 20, Alabama 18, Fresno State 15, Detroit 12, Xavier 12, Bradley 11,Virginia 10, Georgetown 6, Butler 5, Siena 5, Tulsa 5, Colorado 4, Delaware4, Murray State 3, New Mexico 3, Evansville 2, Indiana State 2, Kent 2,Michigan 2, Oregon 2, St. Joseph’s (PA) 2, Valparaiso 2, Weber State 2,College of Charleston 1, Mississippi 1, UNC Charlotte 1, Pennsylvania 1.
