Of course, the defending champion UConn Huskies enter the season ranked No. 1

On Tuesday, the Associated Press revealed its top 25 preseason poll, with defending national champion UConn assuming a familiar spot at No. 1.

The Huskies received 27 first-place votes from the 31-member voting panel, returning to the preseason No. 1 perch for the 13th time since 1995, but the first time since 2017.

South Carolina, defeated by UConn in last season’s national championship game, earned the four other first-place nods, putting

the Gamecocks in the preseason top five for the fifth time in the last six seasons. South Carolina leads a total of eight SEC teams ranked in the preseason top 25, the most of any conference. Texas and LSU join South Carolina in the top five, ranked No. 4 and No. 5, respectively. The Big Ten’s UCLA rounds of the top five in the No. 3 slot.

Here’s how the preseason top 25 shook out:

1. UConn (27)
2. South Carolina (4)
3. UCLA
4. Texas
5. LSU
6. Oklahoma
7. Duke
8. Tennessee
9. NC State
10. Maryland
11. North Carolina
12. Ole Miss
13. Michigan
14. Iowa State
15. Notre Dame
16. Baylor
17. TCU
18. USC
19. Vanderbilt
20. Louisville
21. Iowa
22. Oklahoma State
23. Michigan State
24. Kentucky
25. Richmond

The regular season begins on Nov. 3, when South Carolina, Texas and UCLA will be in action. UConn and LSU will tip off their seasons on Nov. 4.