Tom Izzo and the Michigan State Spartans stay making program history.
For the first time ever, Michigan State basketball enters its basketball season as the Associated Press’ No. 1 team.
Michigan State received 60 of a possible 65 first-place votes.
The program’s previous high preseason rank in the AP poll had been No. 2, which they have been four times, all since the 2009-10 season.
The No. 1 ranking isn’t all that familiar for a program with the history of success MSU has. Michigan State has spent a grand total of 12 weeks at the top spot in the AP Poll, most recently for one week in the 2017-18 season.
Four consecutive weeks is the longest an MSU team has held the No. 1 spot. That was done by the 2015-16 team.
The start of the season offers an immediate test for that No. 1 rank as Michigan State takes on the preseason No. 2 Kentucky Wildcats on November 5 in the Champions Classic.
Michigan State also starts the season as the top-ranked KenPom team. The preseason USA TODAY Coaches Poll comes out on Wednesday.
