The Creighton University men's basketball team has earned the No. 15 spot in the preseason USA Today Coaches poll, released Wednesday morning. The Bluejays are the lone Missouri Valley Conference team represented, though future Bluejay opponents Wisconsin (No. 21) and Saint Joseph's (also receiving votes) appear in the poll.

Indiana claimed the top spot in the poll, earning 21-of-31 first-place
votes. Louisville is second, followed by defending national champion
Kentucky. Ohio State is fourth, while Michigan, North Carolina State,
Kansas, Duke, Syracuse and Florida round out the rest of the top-10.

Spots 11-14 are held by Arizona, North Carolina, UCLA and Michigan State. The Jays are slotted No. 15 in the poll with 325 points in the voting, just ahead of No. 16 Memphis.

Rounding out the rest of the poll is Missouri, Baylor, UNLV, San Diego
State, Wisconsin, Gonzaga, Notre Dame, Florida State and Texas.

Creighton finished last season ranked No. 21 in the final USA Today poll. This is CU's first preseason ranking from the coaches since the 2006-07 club was tabbed No. 23 in the preseason poll.

A spot in the top 25 of the preseason poll is no guarantee of success. Four of last year's preseason top-25 missed out on the NCAA Tournament (No. 11 Pittsburgh, No. 16 Arizona, No. 19 Texas A&M, No. 25 UCLA).

The Associated Press preseason poll is schedule to be released in a few weeks. Creighton's only preseason ranking in that poll came in 2006-07, at No. 19.

CU's first exhibition game will be Nov. 2 against Mary, while the
regular-season opens Nov. 9 with North Texas.

Creighton has advanced to 15 straight postseasons and will return 10
lettermen and four starters from last season's 29-6 squad.