The Marquette men’s basketball team is entering the most anticipated season in recent memory in heady territory.

In the first Associated Press top 25 poll of the season released on Monday, the Golden Eagles are ranked No. 5.

MU is ranked behind only Kansas, Duke, Purdue and Michigan State.

(Editor's note: Journal Sentinel beat writer Ben Steele had MU at No. 4 in his ballot.)

MU hasn’t been ranked that high in the preseason since entering the 1977-78 season as No. 3.

The Golden Eagles weren’t ranked last season until the seventh AP poll, eventually climbing into the top 10.

“I wouldn’t say we ignore it,” MU big man Oso Ighodaro said last week. “Obviously, we’re human beings, we see it.

“But we proved last year that rankings don’t really mean anything. Just because maybe we’re picked high this season doesn’t guarantee us any wins, any stops, any buckets on the court. That’s something we have to go out and do ourselves.

“The rankings, I mean, that’s nice that people are finally on board with what we’re doing here. But it doesn’t mean anything.”

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When was the last time Marquette was ranked in the preseason?

The Golden Eagles haven’t been ranked in the preseason for a decade. MU entered the 2013-14 season at No. 17. That was Buzz Williams’ final season as the school’s head coach, with the Golden Eagles finishing 17-15 overall and 9-9 in the Big East to miss the NCAA Tournament.

Is this the highest Marquette has been ranked in the preseason?

No. MU was ranked No. 2 before the start of the 1976-77 season and went on to win the national championship in Al McGuire’s final season as head coach.

MU was ranked in the top 10 of the preseason poll in all nine seasons from 1969-78.

Where was Marquette ranked in final poll last season?

After winning the Big East regular-season and tournament championships, the Golden Eagles were ranked No. 6 in the final AP poll of the season. The 1977-78 season was the last time MU was ranked in the top 5.

How many top 25 opponents will Marquette play this season?

Big East foes Connecticut (No. 6), Creighton (No. 8) and Villanova (No. 22) are ranked in the preseason. The Golden Eagles will also face No. 25 Illinois on Nov. 14 and No. 18 Texas on Dec. 6. At the loaded Maui Invitational, relocated to Honolulu this season, the Golden Eagles could face No. 1 Kansas, No. 3 Purdue, No. 9 Tennessee or No. 11 Gonzaga.

MU opens the season on Nov. 6 against Northern Illinois at Fiserv Forum.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Marquette enters 2023-24 season as No. 5 in preseason AP top 25