By Otis Kirk

FAYETTEVILLE -- Arkansas is ranked No. 10 in the first Associated Press preseason men's basketball poll released on Monday.

Arkansas is coming off a 28-9 season that saw them advance to the Elite Eight for the second season in a row. Arkansas has two players returning from last year's squad. On Sunday following the Red-White game, Eric Musselman talked about the expectation Arkansas would be ranked high in the poll released today.

"It doesn't really mean anything," Musselman said of the preseason ranking. "It's good for the fans and media."

Do you feel it puts a target on your back to be ranked high though?

"We already have a target on our back," Musselman said. "Whatever the poll says making the Elite Eight back-to-back. That isn't something we have talked to our team much about, but we will start to as we start creeping closer and closer to games because teams, even though we only have two returning players, just having Arkansas across the front of our jersey puts a little bit different dynamics right now when we play people. 

"I think our guys have to understand the responsibility that comes with that. When you are on the other end and a lot of teams overlook some people you and you sneak some wins. We're not going to be able to do that at all."

Jalen Graham, who had 25 points, two rebounds and a couple of blocked shots on Sunday, also talked about the expectation Arkansas would be ranked high today.

"To me that means nothing," Graham said. "We've still got to come out here and compete and show everybody we're a Top 10 team."

Anthony Black, a freshman point guard, who had four points, nine rebounds, nine assists, three blocked shots and one steal on Sunday, has higher expectations than Top 10.

"I would say our goal is to be a Top 5 team," Black said. "I think it's fun and that's a pretty good starting point for us since we've got a lot of new players. So I think that's a good position and keeps us kind of neutral where we've still got a lot to work for. It's not too high where we are on the top or too low where we are on the bottom."

Arkansas will host Rogers State Monday night at 7 p.m. in Bud Walton Arena in the first of two exhibition games. The regular season opens on Monday, Nov. 7, at 7 p.m. when they host North Dakota State.