Bodog Beat

College basketball season, as hard as it may be to believe, tips off on Nov. 9, so it’s time to start thinking of those college basketball futures on Bodog if you haven’t already. (AP Images)

The first polls of the season were released this week. The top-ranked team in both the AP and ESPN/USA Today polls was, to no surprise, Kansas. Stars Sherron Collins and Cole Aldrich both decided not to go pro to return and Lawrence for a chance at the Jayhawks’ second national title in three seasons.

The Jayhawks return their top nine scorers (and add star freshman Xavier Henry) from the team that went 27-8 and reached the Sweet 16 a year ago, losing to Michigan State – which just happens to be No. 2 in both polls. KU has been the coaches’ preseason No. 1 two previous times, in the 1996-97 and 2004-05 seasons, and they didn’t win the national title in either. The Jayhawks have been a preseason No. 1 in the AP poll just for that 2004-05 season.

Butler, at No. 10/11, is ranked in the preseason for the first time. The Bulldogs’ highest ranking ever during a season is No. 8. Dayton, at No. 22/21, is ranked in a preseason poll for the first time since 1967-68 season. Conspicuously absent from the polls: UCLA, which is only picked to finish third in the Pac-10.

Kentucky, under new coach John Calipari and with a stellar freshman class, Georgetown and Georgia Tech were the only teams in the preseason poll not to play in the NCAA Tournament last season. 

So here are both polls, with Bodog college basketball odds to win the national title on the ESPN/USA Today version:

ESPN/USA TODAY COACHES POLL
1. Kansas (27 first-place votes): 4/1
2. Michigan State (3): 12/1
3. Texas: 12/1
4. North Carolina (1): 15/2
5. Kentucky: 5/1
6. Villanova: 12/1
7. Purdue: 22/1
8. Duke: 10/1
9. West Virginia: 18/1
10. Butler: 60/1
11. Tennessee: 25/1
12. California: 50/1
13. Washington: 45/1
14. Connecticut: 18/1
15. Michigan: 70/1
16. Oklahoma: 40/1
17. Ohio State: 40/1
18. Minnesota: 100/1
19. Mississippi State: 100/1
20. Georgia Tech: 35/1
21. Georgetown: 20/1
22. Dayton: 200/1
23. Louisville: 12/1
24. Clemson: 50/1
25. Syracuse: 20/1

ASSOCIATED PRESS TOP 25
1. Kansas (55)
 2. Michigan State (5)
 3. Texas (1)
 4. Kentucky (3)
 5. Villanova
 6. North Carolina (1)
 7. Purdue
 8. West Virginia
 9. Duke
10. Tennessee
11. Butler
12. Connecticut
13. California
14. Washington
15. Michigan
16. Ohio State
17. Oklahoma
18. Mississippi State
19. Louisville
20. Georgetown
21. Dayton
22. Georgia Tech
23. Illinois
24. Clemson
25. Minnesota

Be sure to get all you college basketball futures in the Bodog Sportsbook and get ahead of all the betting action.