AP college basketball poll: Indiana is number one.

The Associated Press's preseason basketball poll is out, and the result is the same reached by the coaches' poll and most other prognosticators: Indiana is number one. I haven't yet located the full poll, but according to the AP the Hoosiers received 43 of 65 first place votes, and are joined in the top 5 by Louisville, Kentucky, Ohio State, and Michigan.

This is the third time in program history that the Hoosiers have topped the AP's preseason poll. The two previous times were in 1975-76 (IU went undefeated and won the NCAA title) and 1979-80 (IU lost in the Sweet 16 to Purdue). In addition, in 1953-54, the defending NCAA champions were ranked number one in the first poll of the season, but that poll was released on December 8, 1953 with the season already underway (the 1953-54 Hoosiers. This is the 15th time in school history that IU has been ranked in the top 5 of the first AP Poll of the season.

This has been expected for some time, but it's still nice to see it become official. Now, there is the small task of making it truly official on the first Monday of April at the Georgia Dome.

UPDATE: The full poll is now available. In addition to Ohio State and Michigan at 4 and 5, other teams of note: #11 North Carolina (Big Ten/ACC Challenge opponent), #13 UCLA (possible Barclays Classic opponent), #14 Michigan State, #22 Notre Dame, #23 Wisconsin. Also receiving votes were, among others, Minnesota, Butler, and Georgetown (possible Barclays opponent).