Michigan State Ranked Top 5 In Preseason AP Poll

The Spartans have high expectations for the 2022-23 season internally, and external sources think highly of Tom Izzo's squad as well...

Tom Izzo and Michigan State men's basketball's players have made it now secret that they intend to compete for a national championship in 2023-24, and the pollsters expect the same thing out of the Spartans.

On Monday, Michigan State was ranked No. 4 in the Associated Press' preseason poll trailing only No. 1 Kansas, No. 2 Duke and No. 3 Purdue. The rest of the Top 10 is rounded out by No. 5 Marquette, No. 6 and defending national champion UConn, No. 7 Houston, No. 8 Creighton, No. 9 Tennessee and No. 10 Florida Atlantic.

This is the highest preseason ranking for the Spartans since 2019-20, when that group led by star point guard Cassius Winston entered the year as the preseason No. 1. The Spartans and Boilermakers are the clear preseason favorite to win the Big Ten Conference in 2023-24. The only other Big Ten team ranked by the Associated Press is Illinois, which begins the year at No. 25.

MSU will host Hillsdale College for a scrimmage on Oct. 25 before hosting Tennessee for another scrimmage on Oct. 29. The Spartans' regular season begins on Nov. 6 when they host James Madison, following by another home tilt against Southern Indiana on Nov. 9. After those two tune-ups, things get real for Michigan State when they travel to Chicago for a Top 5 showdown with Duke in the annual Champions Classic.

Michigan State brings a loaded roster into the year, headlined by four returning starters: point guard A.J. Hoggard, shooting guard Tyson Walker, small forward Jaden Akins and center Mady Sissoko. Izzo also returns the majority of his bench depth in power forward Malik Hall, centers Jaxon Kohler and Carson Cooper, and point guard Tre Holloman.

Additionally, the Spartans add a group of freshman who made up a Top 5 recruiting class: five-star power forward Xavier Booker, five-star point guard Jeremy Fears and four-star forwards Coen Carr and Gehrig Normand.

Izzo enters 29th season at the helm in East Lansing, having won a national championship in 1999-2000, and eight trips to the Final Four during his illustrious career. Under Izzo's direction, Michigan State has won 10 regular season Big Ten championships and six Big Ten Tournament championships — the most of any league program during the last 30 years.

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