Gators ranked No. 7 in AP preseason basketball poll

Kentucky is No. 1 in The Associated Press preseason Top 25 for the second straight season.

The Wildcats lived up to expectations last season, overcoming a midseason slump to reach the national championship game, where they lost to Connecticut.

With most of that team back and another stellar recruiting class in place, Kentucky received 52 first-place votes from the 65-member panel to become the fourth team to earn consecutive preseason No. 1s.

Arizona was No. 2, receiving five first-place votes. No. 3 Wisconsin, with most of its team returning from last year's Final Four run, had eight first-place votes but were 35 points behind Arizona in overall points.

Duke and Kansas round out the top five, followed by North Carolina, Florida, Louisville, Virginia and Texas.