Arizona will begin the 2019-20 season as a ranked team with the Wildcats coming in at No. 21 on the list of top 25 teams according to the Associated Press. The publication's preseason poll was released Monday and Sean Miller's team is one of just two Pac-12 squads to make the initial list. Preseason Pac-12 Conference favorite Oregon also made it coming in at No. 15 on the list.

Washington and Colorado, two teams picked to finish ahead of the Wildcats in the preseason conference media poll, were to two teams to receive the most receiving votes and sit just outside the top 25 entering the season.

Michigan State is in the top spot in Monday's debut while Gonzaga is the top West Coast team to make the first rankings of the season coming in at No. 8. The Wildcats will host Gonzaga at McKale Center on Dec. 14.

It will mark the second straight Saturday the Wildcats will face a ranked opponent, should the current rankings hold, with No. 16 Baylor hosting the Wildcats on Dec. 7 in Waco, Texas. Utah State (No. 17) and St. Mary's (No. 20) are two other programs out west that are ranked in the preseason poll.

Arizona will enter the season ranked for the first time since March 2018 when it was rated as the No. 13 team in the country. The Wildcats welcome a number of new pieces to the team this year including standout freshmen Nico Mannion, Josh Green and Zeke Nnaji who were all rated as five-star recruits during their senior years of high school.

In addition to the new young players UA also added several transfers to the roster including UC Irvine graduate transfer Max Hazzard who helped guide his team to an NCAA Tournament victory last season.

UA had an early exit from postseason play in the 2018-19 season with the Wildcats losing to USC in the opening round of the Pac-12 Conference Tournament in Las Vegas.

The Wildcats will take the floor Nov. 1 for an exhibition game against Chico State at McKale Center followed by the season opener Nov. 6 against Northern Arizona. UA's first game away from McKale Center will come Thanksgiving Day in Anaheim as the Wildcats face Pepperdine as part of the Wooden Legacy event.

The team's trip to Waco will be its first and only true road game of nonconference play. UA opens up Pac-12 play Jan. 4 at home against Arizona State.