UVA men’s basketball ranked 18th in the preseason AP Top-25 Poll

The first AP Top-25 Poll of the 2022-2023 college basketball season was released earlier today and the Virginia Cavaliers men’s basketball team is ranked 18th in the poll. Two other ACC teams including the North Carolina Tar Heels (1st) and Duke Blue Devils (7th) have also been ranked in the preseason poll. Virginia Tech and Notre Dame were the only other ACC squads that received recognition with each garnering one whole vote.

Notable for the Wahoos, they’ll play seven games against preseason ranked opponents including a whopping four in non-conference play. UVA’s fourth game of the season comes against #5 Baylor in the Continental Tire Main Event Tournament out in Las Vegas. Depending on the results of that contest and the other corresponding game, VIrginia will then play either #8 UCLA or #23 UCLA.

In the Wahoos’ seventh game of the year, they’ll hit the road to play #22 Michigan in Ann Arbor on November 29th. Then, after the exam break, Tony Bennett’s squad will host #3 Houston in Charlottesville on December 17th.

UVA’s mettle will surely be tested before ACC play kicks off in earnest. But two games against #1 UNC and a home contest against #7 Duke along with the typical grind of what is usually a deep conference will ensure that Virginia enters March with plenty of experience against tournament teams.

Preseason AP-Top 25 (UVA’s opponents are bolded)

1. North Carolina

2. Gonzaga

3. Houston

4. Kentucky

T-5. Kansas

T-5. Baylor

7. Duke

8. UCLA

9. Creighton

10. Arkansas

11. Tennessee

12. Texas

13. Indiana

14. TCU

15. Auburn

16. Villanova

17. Arizona

18. Virginia

19. San Diego State

20. Alabama

21. Oregon

22. Michigan

23. Illinois

24. Dayton

25. Texas Tech

Others receiving votes: Texas A&M 112, UConn 101, Miami 66, Purdue 56, Saint Louis 36, Michigan State 35, Florida St. 32, Xavier 29, Wyoming 25, Ohio State 23, Iowa 13, Rutgers 4, USC 3, Florida 3, Toledo 1, UAB 1, Memphis 1, Virginia Tech 1, Notre Dame 1.