Nov 02, 2015 03:14 PM EST By Russell Westerholm, UniversityHerald Reporter

The Associated Press' top preseason men's college basketball team is not the defending national champion, nor is it the team that went 38-1 last season, but the North Carolina Tar Heels.

North Carolina's preseason number one ranking in the college basketball poll is the ninth in school history and it is also the 109th time the team has been atop the poll overall, The AP noted.

"I do feel like we're going to be a good basketball team," UNC head coach Roy Williams said in a statement. "I'm excited for our kids, because this is one of the best groups that I've ever worked with. We made a nice run last year but were disappointed with the way it ended. Hopefully we will use that as fuel to be the best team we can be this year. There are so many good teams, I don't see how anybody could pick just one to be No. 1 at this point of the season. But it's certainly nice to be one of those teams under consideration."

North Carolina lost in the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16 last year to Wisconsin (17), the eventual National Championship runners-up. But unlike several teams from the AP Poll's top teams at the end of last season, North Carolina is returning a host of starters and major contributors, garnering 35 first-place votes.

Following the Heels are the Kentucky Wildcats with 10 first-place votes and 1,520 points. Despite getting 14 first-place votes, Maryland received 1,487 points and ranked third overall. Kansas was fourth and received five first-place votes, while Duke, the reigning National Champs, ranked fifth with no first-place votes.

Rounding out the top 10 is: Virginia (6, with 1 first-place vote), Iowa State (7), Oklahoma (8), Gonzaga (9), and Wichita State (10).

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