Iowa fans welcome Coach Fran McCaffery onto the court at the Hawkeyes' open practice at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City on Saturday, Oct. 15, 2011. (David Scrivner/SourceMedia Group)

The league-sanctioned Big Ten preseason men’s basketball poll comes out Thursday morning. Voters, including myself, are instructed to select the top three Big Ten basketball teams this season along with the top five players.

The basketball beat writers conducted their own preseason media poll, which debuts today. The poll is based on a 12-point scale, with first place worth 12 points, second place worth 11, etc. Ohio State was a unanimous top choice among the 24 beat writers who took part, including myself. Wisconsin was picked second, just ahead of Michigan and Michigan State.

Iowa was tabbed for 10th in the media poll but had at least one reporter pick the Hawkeyes for sixth. I ranked Iowa ninth, behind Minnesota and Indiana but ahead of Northwestern, Nebraska and Penn State.

Here’s how the poll shaked down:

Team, total points (range of predictions)

•  1. Ohio State, 288 (1)
•  2. Wisconsin, 248 (2-5)
•  3. Michigan, 233 (2-6)
•  4. Michigan State, 219 (2-6)
•  5. Purdue, 194 (2-9)
•  6. Illinois, 150 (4-9)
•  7. Minnesota, 142 (3-10)
•  8. Northwestern, 115 (6-11)
•  9. Indiana, 111 (5-12)
• 10. Iowa, 86 (6-12)
• 11. Nebraska, 60 (8-11)
• 12. Penn State, 26 (11-12)