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No teams from the Washington, D.C. area appear in the NCAA Associated Press Preseason Top 25 rankings, but the George Mason Patriots did receive some votes. With five voting points, it finished well outside the top 25, but it is nonetheless one of the 48 teams in the country to receive votes.
The North Carolina Tar Heels open the season ranked No. 1, receiving 62 of a possible 65 first-place votes. The Kentucky Wildcats, Ohio St. Buckeyes, Connecticut Huskies, and Syracuse Orange round out the top five.
The Patriots finished last season 27-7, tops in the Colonial Athletic Association, but unranked in the AP poll. Their season ended in the third round of the NCAA tournament. This season, they'll contend with the loss of leading scorer Cameron Long, who averaged 15.1 points per game in his senior season. Ryan Pearson (14.2 points, a team-best 6.7 rebounds) returns for his senior season.
George Mason opens its season Nov. 11 against the Rhode Island Rams.