Pitt Basketball Ranked No. 5 In AP Preseason Poll

NEW YORK—The Pitt basketball team will open its 2010-11 season ranked No. 5 in the Associated Press preseason poll, the media organization announced on Thursday. Associated Press poll voters consist of writers and broadcasters throughout the nation.

Pitt will also enter the year ranked No. 4 in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches poll, which was released on Oct. 21.

For the fifth time in school history and fourth time in the last eight years, Pitt will enter a season ranked among the nation's top-5 in the Associated Press preseason poll. The No. 5 ranking ties for the program's second highest preseason AP national rating as Pitt entered the 1987-88 and 2006-07 seasons ranked No. 4 and the 2002-03 and 2008-09 seasons ranked No. 5.

Defending national champion Duke earned the nation's No. 1 ranking, followed by No. 2 Michigan State, No. 3 Kansas State, No. 4 Ohio State and No. 5 Pitt. Rounding out the top-10 include No. 6 Villanova, No. 7 Kansas, No. 8 North Carolina, No. 9 Florida and No. 10 Syracuse. With its No. 5 ranking and 1,310 total points, Pitt is one of four Big East programs ranked among the nation's top-25 including No.6 Villanova, No. 10 Syracuse and No. 20 Georgetown.

Pitt's first exhibition game is on Sunday, Oct. 31 against Northwood University, Fla. Tipoff is at 2 p.m. at the Petersen Events Center.