New York, NY (My Sportsbook) - Kansas has the top spot in the Associated Press' preseason college basketball poll, followed closely behind by three members of the Atlantic Coast Conference -- Wake Forest, Georgia Tech and North Carolina.

Kansas garnered the top spot in the preseason poll for the first time since 1956-57, the season Wilt Chamberlain led the Jayhawks to the national championship game -- a triple-overtime loss to North Carolina.

This year's Kansas squad has four returning starters from last year's team that lost in the NCAA Tournament regional finals to Georgia Tech.

The Jayhawks received 25 first-place votes and a total of 1,697 points from a nationwide media panel, edging Wake Forest for the top spot. The Demon Deacons, who have all five starters back from last year's team that lost in the round of 16 to Saint Joseph's, earned 22 first-place votes and 1,680 points.

Georgia Tech, last year's NCAA Tournament runner-up to Connecticut, picked up 10 first-place votes and 1,567 points to take the third spot. North Carolina also received 10 top tallies to claim fourth.

Illinois is fifth after garnering two first-place votes, while Syracuse -- the 2002 national champion with all five of its starters from last year returning -- is sixth.

Oklahoma State, with two first-place votes, is seventh, followed by defending national champion Connecticut, Kentucky and Arizona. Kentucky also notched one first-place vote. Connecticut was last year's preseason No. 1 and became the 24th team since the poll started in 1948-49 to open the year on top and win it all.

The second-10 consists of Duke, Mississippi State, Michigan State, Louisville, Maryland, Texas, Pittsburgh, Alabama, North Carolina State and Notre Dame.

Wisconsin, Washington, Florida, Memphis and Gonzaga round out the poll.

The ACC has six teams in the poll, while the Big East and SEC each have four.

Three top-25 teams will get their seasons started this Thursday in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic, as Syracuse, Mississippi State and Memphis all play games in the 16-team tournament.