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The first college basketball poll for the 2012-13 season is out, and the Syracuse Orange come in at No. 9 in the USA Today preseason coaches poll. The Orange are the second-highest Big East team, with Louisville slotted at No. 2. Indiana edged out the Cardinals for the No. 1 overall spot, and defending national champion Kentucky comes in at No. 3.
The Orange were ranked No. 2 in the recently released Big East coaches poll, falling behind a near-unanimous No. 1 Louisville team. Jim Boeheim's club set a new school mark with a 34-3 record last season, but the Orange were hit hard by graduation and early entry to the NBA draft. The returning and incoming talent, however, were still strong enough to land them inside the top 10 in the country. C.J. Fair and Brandon Triche are expected to be the leaders for Boeheim as he tries to exit the Big East on a high note in 2012-13.
The complete preseason coaches poll below:
| Rank | School (first-place votes) | 2011-12 record | Points | Last year's final ranking | |
| 1 | Indiana (21) | 27-9 | 761 | 13 | |
| 2 | Louisville (5) | 30-10 | 738 | 4 | |
| 3 | Kentucky (5) | 38-2 | 718 | 1 | |
| 4 | Ohio State | 31-8 | 617 | 3 | |
| 5 | Michigan | 24-10 | 605 | 22 | |
| 6 |
North Carolina State | 24-13 | 581 | 20 | |
| 7 | Kansas | 32-7 | 563 | 2 | |
| 8 | Duke | 27-7 | 516 | 14 | |
| 9 | Syracuse | 34-3 | 502 | 5 | |
| 10 | Florida | 26-11 | 422 | 9 | |
| 11 | Arizona | 23-12 | 411 | NR | |
| 12 | North Carolina | 32-6 | 401 | 6 | |
| 13 | UCLA | 19-14 | 396 | NR | |
| 14 | Michigan State | 29-8 | 391 | 7 | |
| 15 | Creighton | 29-6 | 325 | 21 | |
| 16 | Memphis | 26-9 | 307 | NR | |
| 17 | Missouri | 30-5 | 289 | 11 | |
| 18 | Baylor | 30-8 | 266 | 8 | |
| 19 |
UNLV | 26-9 | 203 | NR | |
| 20 | San Diego State | 26-8 | 196 | NR | |
| 21 | Wisconsin | 26-10 | 191 | 12 | |
| 22 | Gonzaga | 26-7 | 166 | NR | |
| 23 | Notre Dame | 22-12 | 122 | NR | |
| 24 (tie) | Florida State | 25-10 | 61 | 15 | |
| 24 (tie) | Texas | 20-14 | 61 | NR | |