MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University men’s basketball team is going to begin the 2009-10 season with a giant bulls-eye on its chest. That’s because for the first time since 1963, the Mountaineers are ranked in the preseason Top 10.

West Virginia is eighth in the Associated Press preseason poll and ninth in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches’ Top 25 poll, both announced today.

Coach George King’s West Virginia team, with All-America guard Rod Thorn, started the 1962-63 season fourth in the UPI poll and fifth in the AP poll behind Cincinnati, Duke, Kentucky and Loyola-Chicago.

This year, the Big East has six teams in the coaches’ poll and five in the AP poll to begin the season.

In addition to West Virginia, Villanova (sixth), Connecticut (14th), Georgetown (21st), Louisville (23rd) and Syracuse (25th) are in the coaches’ poll. In the AP poll, Villanova (fifth), Connecticut (12th), Louisville (19th) and Georgetown (20th) are also ranked from the Big East.

WVU regular season opponents Purdue (seventh) and Ohio State (16th) are in the preseason rankings and the Mountaineers could also meet 11th-ranked Butler and 24th-ranked Clemson in the 76 Classic.

The last time West Virginia was preseason ranked was 2006 when John Beilein’s squad was tabbed 14th by AP and 15th by USA Today/ESPN to begin the season.

West Virginia opens the regular season on Sunday, Nov. 15, against Loyola, Md., in Morgantown.

Season tickets are still available through the Mountaineer Ticket Office by calling 1-800-WVU GAME or by logging on to wvugame.com.