College Hoops: Alabama ranked No. 24, Auburn unranked to start season

Alabama head coach Nate Oats, left, shakes hands with Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl, right, during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Feb. 11, 2023, in Auburn, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

by: Josiah Elmore

Posted: Oct 16, 2023 / 02:49 PM CDT

Updated: Oct 16, 2023 / 02:49 PM CDT

(WHNT) — The college basketball season is just under a month a way, and the preseason AP Top 25 was released on Monday.

Coming into the 2023-2024 season the Kansas Jayhawks are the top-ranked team in the country. The Jayhawks are coming off of a 28-8 season in which they advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament before being knocked out by the Arkansas Razorbacks.

In State, the Alabama Crimson Tide enters the season as the No. 24 ranked team in the country while Auburn enters the season unranked.

The Crimson Tide are coming off one of the best seasons in school history where they reached the No.1 ranking in the country and entered the NCAA Tournament as a No.1 seed before falling to San Diego State in the Sweet Sixteen.

This year’s squad will look a lot different after key players from a season ago such as Brandon Miller, Noah Clowney and Jahvon Quinerly are no longer on the roster. Nate Oats’ squad will feature eight new players.

Alabama will begin the year with an exhibition game against Wake Forest on October 29 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Tipoff for the game is scheduled for 12 p.m.

In Auburn, the Tigers enter the season unranked but received 27 votes to be ranked. Bruce Pearl is entering into his 10th season on the Plains.

The Tigers went 21-13 last season before losing to Houston in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Like Alabama, Auburn’s roster will feature several new faces including two with ties to North Alabama.

New Market native Denver Jones transferred to the Tigers from Florida International while Chaney Johnson transferred to Auburn from UAH.

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Auburn tips off the season against No. 20 Baylor on November 7 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, at 8 p.m.

Other SEC schools that made the preseason AP Top 25 include Tennessee, Arkansas, Texas A&M and Kentucky. The SEC leads all conferences with five teams ranked heading into the season.

The entire preseason AP Top 25: