Bring On The Cats, a Kansas State Wildcats community

We're also 26th in the AP, just behind San Diego State, with which we're basically co-No. 25. If I had to pick one worthless poll to be ranked in, though, it's the coaches because that No. 25 will be slathered across ESPN all week long.

Kansas State finished among the nation's elite for the second consecutive season — the Wildcats placed 24th in the final ESPN/USA Today coaches' top 25 poll released Tuesday. The team had not concluded ranked in the poll in back-to-back seasons since finishing No. 16 in 1971-72 and No. 7 in 1972-73. The 95 wins under Frank Martin are the most for a head coach in his first four seasons and the most ever in a four-year span in school history. The three NCAA Tournament appearances in a four-year span are the most since the squad went to four consecutive tournaments from 1986 to 1990.

Kansas State earned its highest preseason ranking in the Associated Press poll Thursday, when the Wildcats appeared at No. 3 in the annual media poll. The No. 3 preseason ranking tied for the highest of any of the major polls, matching the one received in the USA Today/ESPN top 25 coaches poll released Oct. 21. It is the highest-ever ranking for K-State in a preseason poll and the highest by the AP since it began preseason rankings in 1961. The previous high for a preseason ranking came at No. 8 by the AP in both the 1961-62 and 1964-65 seasons. The No. 3 ranking is the highest in an AP poll in almost 50 years, since the Wildcats ranked No. 3 on March 6, 1962.

Kansas State's list of preseason accolades continued to grow when the Wildcats appeared at No. 3 in the USA Today/ESPN Top 25 coaches poll released Thursday. The No. 3 preseason ranking by the nation's coaches is the highest of any of the major polls released. It also is the highest-ever ranking for K-State in a preseason poll, which includes the long-standing Associated Press poll.