Kansas guard Travis Releford scoops a pass up the court after stealing the ball from Conner Teahan during the Late Night in the Phog scrimmage on Friday, Oct. 14, 2011 at Allen Fieldhouse.

The Kansas men’s basketball team is ranked No. 13 in the preseason ESPN/USA Today coaches poll released on Thursday.

The Jayhawks are joined in the top 25 by fellow Big 12 schools Baylor (12th), Texas A&M (19th) and Missouri (25th). Texas and Kansas State also received votes.

North Carolina nearly was a unanimous No. 1, picking up 30 of the 31 first-place votes. Kentucky claimed the other first-place vote and was second, followed by Ohio State, UConn and Syracuse.

ESPN/USA Today preseason coaches poll

1. North Carolina (30)
2. Kentucky (1)
3. Ohio St.
4. Connecticut
5. Syracuse
6. Duke
7. Vanderbilt
8. Louisville
9. Memphis
10. Florida
11. Pittsburgh
12. Baylor
13. Kansas
14. Wisconsin
15. Xavier
16. Arizona
17. Alabama
18. Michigan
19. Texas A&M
20. UCLA
21. Marquette
22. Cincinnati
23. Gonzaga
24. California
25. Missouri

Others receiving votes: Florida State 108, Texas 107, Michigan State 73, Temple 59, Washington 29, Butler 25, New Mexico 22, Creighton 19, Villanova 18, Purdue 17, UNLV 16, West Virginia 13, George Mason 12, Mississippi State 11, St. John’s 11, Saint Mary’s 5, Virginia 5, Virginia Commonwealth 4, Drexel 2, Kansas State 2, Long Beach State 2, Notre Dame 1, Brigham Young 1.