No unanimous No. 1 team in first Coaches’ poll of season

Kentucky was ranked No. 1 throughout last season up until the final poll, where the Wildcats finished No. 3. Maryland, Duke and Kansas round out the top five (in order).

Familiar shades of blue topped the first USA Today basketball coaches poll of the 2015-16 season, which was released Thursday. The Wildcats have reloaded after a 38-1 campaign that featured six 2015 National Basketball Association draft picks.

This marks the fourth time in the last nine years UNC will start the season at the top of the coaches poll, matching the ranking for 2007-2008, 2008-2009 and 2011-2012 seasons. This team is expected to be a contender and there’s a lot on their plate this year. The Terps were ranked No. 2 in the Associated Press poll going into the 2001-2002 season.

Other Big Ten teams ranked include Indiana (15th), Wisconsin (17th) and Purdue (tied for 24th). Poeltl averaged 9.1 points and 6.8 rebounds in 23.3 minutes per game while also blocking 1.9 shots per game.

For the second year in a row, Duke’s recruiting class topped the ESPN RecruitingNation rankings, as Brandon Ingram, Chase Jeter, Luke Kennard, Derryck Thornton and Antonio Vrankovic headline a seven-man class of newcomers. Poeltl will be one of the best rim protectors in the nation this year and if he improved his offense over the summer like many say he has this team is a real threat to not only Arizona in the PAC-12 but also to possibly make a Final Four run.