USA Today and ESPN released their Preseason Coaches Poll on Thursday and John Calipari’s highly touted 2011-12 team came in at No. 2 behind only North Carolina, whom Kentucky defeated to reach the Final Four last season. UNC received 30-of-31 first place votes with the Cats getting the other. The ranking is UK’s highest in the preseason since UK was No. 1 in 1995-96.UK and UNC will face off against one another on Dec. 3 in Rupp Arena in the most talked about non-conference matchup of the season. The game could feature the nation’s top-ranked teams at that point and unprecedented combined NBA talent.Three fellow Southeastern Conference members were ranked in the top-17, with Vanderbilt checking in at No. 7, Florida at No. 10 and Alabama at No. 17. Two of UK’s other non-conference opponents are in the top-25 as well: Louisville at No. 8 and Kansas at No. 13.Here is the complete poll with first place votes in parentheses and UK opponents in italics:1. North Carolina (30)     2. Kentucky (1)     3. Ohio State     4. Connecticut     5. Syracuse     6. Duke     7. Vanderbilt     8. Louisville     9. Memphis     10. Florida     11. Pittsburgh     12. Baylor     13. Kansas     14. Wisconsin     15. Xavier     16. Arizona     17. Alabama     18. Michigan     19. Texas A&M     20. UCLA     21. Marquette     22. Cincinnati     23. Gonzaga     24. California     25. Missouri