Duke, Maryland ranked 1-2 in AP preseason poll
By Jim O'Connell
Associated Press
Duke and Maryland were 1-2 yesterday in The Associated Press' preseason college basketball poll, just the second time two teams from the same conference have held the top spots.
The other time also involved two schools from the Atlantic Coast Conference, when Georgia Tech and North Carolina were 1-2 before the 1985-86 season.
Duke, the defending national champion, was the runaway No. 1 choice by the national media panel. The Blue Devils, who return three starters from the team that went 35-4 last season, received 61 first-place votes and 1,787 points.
Maryland, which lost to Duke in its first Final Four appearance, had six first-place votes and 1,634 points to match the school's highest ranking ever.
Duke and Maryland are scheduled to play twice this season — at Duke on Jan. 17, and a month later at Maryland.
The preseason No. 1 ranking is the fifth for Duke and first since before the 1998-99 season. The Blue Devils, who were No. 2 in last year's preseason poll, have been ranked in the top 10 before each of the last 12 seasons, except for 1995-96. Since the preseason poll began for the 1961-62 season, Duke has been ranked in the top 10 23 times.
"It's always an honor and very nice to be ranked No. 1," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said, playing down the preseason ranking for a team that lost consensus national player of the year Shane Battier and fifth-year senior Nate James. "Experience means so much. Fortunately, this group has that."
Illinois, which received two first-place votes, was third and was followed by Kentucky, which was No. 1 on three ballots.
UConn, Tennessee head women's poll: Connecticut and Tennessee are ranked 1-2 in the USA Today/ESPN preseason women's basketball poll.
The Huskies received 25 of the 40 first-place votes.
NOTES
Tubbs to resign: Billy Tubbs said yesterday this will be his last season coaching at Texas Christian, and possibly his last in college basketball.
Hours before beginning his 28th season as a head coach and eighth with the Horned Frogs, Tubbs said he was making the announcement now to end speculation that he felt was distracting to the program.
"This is a good time for me to move on and for TCU," Tubbs said.
Tubbs is 140-80 at TCU.
Fresno State: Point guard Chris Sandy has been declared academically ineligible until the spring semester unless the NCAA issues a waiver allowing him to play.
A transfer from Westark Community College (Ark.), Sandy was expected to replace Tito Maddox in the starting lineup.
