An anonymous coaches poll conducted by Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander of CBS Sports pegs Kansas as the top men's college basketball team for the 2024-25 season.

The question (Who will be the best team this season?) is part of CBS Sports' 2024 Candid Coaches series, which includes answers from more than 100 Division I coaches.

Kansas received 35.6 percent of the votes, followed by Alabama (27.9 percent), Houston (13.5 percent), Duke (9.6 percent) and UConn (7.7 percent). Arizona, Baylor, Gonzaga and North Carolina also received votes.

Kansas was ranked No. 1 in the Associated Press preseason poll last season, but the Jayhawks sputtered down the stretch and lost 89-68 to Gonzaga in the second round of the NCAA tournament.

But there's no denying KU's talent this upcoming season. On the transfer front, Kansas added Wisconsin guard AJ Storr (16.8 PPG) and Alabama guard Rylen Griffen, who scored 11.2 PPG en route to helping guide the Crimson Tide to the Final Four.

The Jayhawks also return three key players from last year, including big man Hunter Dickinson (17.9 PPG, 10.9 RPG), forward K.J. Adams (12.6 PPG on 60.1 percent shooting) and point guard Dajuan Harris Jr., whose 6.5 assists per game ranked second in the Big 12.

One coach said the following to CBS Sports on Kansas:

"They had a down year for them -- and I think Bill Self's press conference at the end of the year said it all. He will be more motivated and locked in than ever before. They have a strong group of returners, with Hunter Dickinson being a potential player of (the) year. AJ Storr could prove to be a huge pickup for them, with Griffen from Alabama being a major sleeper too."

On paper, Kansas is clearly a legitimate national championship contender and a host of coaches agree.

The Jayhawks will begin their quest for their fifth national championship on Oct. 29 against Washburn.