The college basketball season is right around the corner. The AP released its preseason Top-25 poll on Monday, with Michigan State opening up the 2019-20 season at No. 1 spot following last year’s run to the Final Four. Cassius Winston — an early national Payer of the Year contender — leads the Spartans after returning for his senior season.
College basketball rankings: Michigan State takes top spot in preseason AP Poll
It’s blue blood heavy to open the 2019-20 season in the preseason polls.
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Blue bloods Kentucky, Kansas, and Duke follow in spots Nos. 2-4, and Louisville rounds out the top five. Kentucky and Duke have the No. 2 and No. 3 incoming recruiting classes, respectively, and Kansas returns Udoka Azubuike along with a No. 15 incoming class.
Florida, which snagged big time player Kerry Blackshear as a graduate transfer from Virginia Tech, comes in at No. 6, with Maryland, Gonzaga, North Carolina, and Villanova closing out the preseason top 10.
Memphis, led by second-year coach Penny Hardaway, comes in at No. 14 after bringing in the top-rated recruiting class in the country.
The ACC, SEC, and Big Ten all tied with four teams in the preseason top 25, and the Big East and Big 12 each add three teams to the rankings. All four ACC teams are in the top 11 teams, with reigning national champion Virginia coming in at No. 11.
Here is the full top 25:
AP Poll - Week 1
Rank | Team | Conference |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michigan State | Big Ten |
| 2 | Kentucky | SEC |
| 3 | Kansas | Big 12 |
| 4 | Duke | ACC |
| 5 | Louisville | ACC |
| 6 | Florida | SEC |
| 7 | Maryland | Big Ten |
| 8 | Gonzaga | WCC |
| 9 | North Carolina | ACC |
| 10 | Villanova | Big East |
| 11 | Virginia | ACC |
| 12 | Seton Hall | Big East |
| 13 | Texas Tech | Big 12 |
| 14 | Memphis | AAC |
| 15 | Oregon | Pac-12 |
| 16 | Baylor | Big 12 |
| 17 | Utah State | MWC |
| 18 | Ohio State | Big Ten |
| 19 | Xavier | Big East |
| 20 | St. Mary's | WCC |
| 21 | Arizona | Pac-12 |
| 22 | LSU | SEC |
| 23 | Purdue | Big Ten |
| 24 | Auburn | SEC |
| 25 | VCU | A-10 |
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