NEW ROCHELLE, NY - The Iona College men's basketball team earned one vote in The Associated Press' Top 25 preseason poll announced yesterday. It is the first time the Gaels appear on the list since Feb. 6, 2012.

Iona received votes on the AP Top 25 Poll for four straight weeks in January and February of 2012. That season, the Maroon & Gold posted a 25-8 overall record and earned an at-large bid into the NCAA Championship. Prior to 2011-12, the Gaels earned votes in six straight polls in December 2005 and January 2006. Iona also received votes in the national polls during its 15-game winning streak from Dec. 1997 - Feb. 1998. The last time Iona was ranked in the AP Top 25 poll was on Mar. 4, 1980.

CBS and Sports Illustrated's Seth Davis picked the Gaels at No. 25 on the preseason poll to account for the team's lone vote.

The Maroon & Gold completes its final preparation for the upcoming season beginning in 12 days. Iona opens play at Valparaiso Nov. 15. The Crusaders also appear on the preseason poll with five votes.

Seniors A.J. English and Isaiah Williams and sophomore Schadrac Casimir are preseason All-MAAC performers who look to lead the Gaels this season. English is the MAAC's Preseason Player of the Year and on the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame's Jerry West Award preseason watch list among the nation's top shooting guards.

The AP Top 25 Poll
Preseason Poll
Nov. 2, 2015

Rk.) Team (FPV)          Points
1.)  North Carolina (35)  1,566
2.)  Kentucky (10)        1,520
3.)  Maryland (14)        1,487
4.)  Kansas (5)           1,410
5.)  Duke                 1,350
6.)  Virginia (1)         1,347
7.)  Iowa State           1,185
8.)  Oklahoma             1,088
9.)  Gonzaga              1,047
10.) Wichita St           1,032
11.) Villanova            1,013
12.) Arizona                917
13.) Michigan State         838
14.) California             757
15.) Indiana                755
16.) Utah                   499
17.) Wisconsin              433
18.) Vanderbilt             393
19.) Notre Dame             360
20.) Connecticut            307
21.) LSU                    268
22.) Baylor                 265
23.) Purdue                 236
24.) Butler                 223
25.) Michigan               126

Others receiving votes: Oregon 116, SMU 112, West Virginia 84, 
Texas A&M 72, Cincinnati 63, Miami (FL) 48, Louisville 46, 
Georgetown 23, NC State 19, Texas 18, Florida State 18, 
Rhode Island 17, Dayton 12, Xavier 12, Providence 10, Iowa 6, 
BYU 5, Valparaiso 5, Boise State 4, Old Dominion 3, 
San Diego State 2, UCLA 2, Oklahoma State 2, Yale 1, UC Irvine 1, 
Iona 1, Central Michigan 1