The Wisconsin men’s basketball team is ranked 15th by the Associated Press in its preseason poll released Monday night. It is just the fourth time in school history the Badgers have been ranked in the preseason poll (1962, 1994 and 2000 are the others), and marks their highest preseason ranking since they were 10th in 1962.

The UW was ranked in the final three AP polls of last season, finishing the season at No. 21. The final AP poll was released prior to the NCAA tournament. The Badgers advanced to the “Sweet 16” of the NCAA tourney, before falling to No. 1 Kentucky.

The team is ranked No. 14 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll, which was released on Thursday, Oct. 30. The Badgers are coming off a school-record 24 wins in 2002-03, including the outright Big Ten title.

Connecticut was ranked first by the coaches, followed by Duke, Michigan State, Arizona and Kansas. Besides Wisconsin and Michigan State, the only other Big Ten team to appear in the rankings is Illinois at No. 13. Last year, the Badgers’ highest ranking was a tie for 13th place, which came in the final coaches poll.

-compiled from staff reports