The Associated Press has released its initial Top 25 for the 2017-2018 college basketball season, and Northwestern comes in at No. 19, one spot ahead of where it landed in the coaches poll.
The same four Big Ten teams that were also ranked in the USA Today coaches poll are ranked in the AP Poll; aside from Northwestern, Michigan State is No. 2, Minnesota is No. 15 and Purdue is No. 20.
The preseason accolades for Chris Collins's team have rolled in throughout the offseason. Bryant McIntosh and Scottie Lindsey were recently named to the 10-man preseason All-Big Ten team, and the Wildcats were picked to finish fourth in the conference.