The UNLV basketball team isn’t ranked in the Associated Press preseason top 25, which was released this morning with North Carolina ranked No. 1 and San Diego State from the Rebels’ Mountain West conference at No. 19.
The Rebels weren’t expected to be included in the poll, as they were last ranked to open the season in 2012. UNLV came in at No. 18 that year, marking the first time the program was ranked in the preseason since 1992-93.
The rest of the top 5 includes (in order): Gonzaga, Houston, Kentucky and defending national champion Kansas. The Big 12 and SEC each had five teams ranked; the Mountain West’s only program was San Diego State.
UNLV hosts Southern University Nov. 7 to open its third season under coach Kevin Kruger. The Rebels are projected as the league's sixth-best team by Sports Illustrated.