MSU ranks No. 1 in preseason AP Poll; could face other top four ranked teams

Nothing can slow down the MSU basketball hype train this year.

Nothing.

The steamrolling to the start of the season only picked up more steam on Monday with the Spartans topping the preseason AP Poll for the first time in program history.

After ending last year in at No. 5 in the last AP Poll of the season (released on March 18, before the tournament) and beating Duke en route to the Final Four, the No. 1 spot seems fitting for the Spartans.

Behind the Spartans is a slew of teams they will see early on in the season and in conference play. Kentucky comes in at No. 2, making the Champions Classic in 15 days a 1 vs. 2 matchup. That’s a flip-flop of the 2013 meeting where top-ranked Kentucky was taken down by No. 2 MSU.

No. 3 is Kansas, who MSU could very well see in the championship round of the Maui Invitational. Duke comes in at No. 4, and the two will face in East Lansing on Dec. 3. To round off the hellacious month for MSU basketball, Seton Hall ranks No. 12. The Spartans travel to face the Pirates on Nov. 14.

As for the rest of the Big Ten, Maryland is No. 7, Ohio State is No. 18 and Purdue is No. 23. Illinois and Michigan also received votes.