College Basketball: UCLA highlights teams being disrespected in preseason polls
By Ryan Kay
Michigan State has their best team since the 2019-2020 season and they are not getting the respect that they deserve.
player. 486. . . . Not Ranked in the top 3 of the AP and Coaches Polls. 4
Some may say that the Spartans being ranked No. 4 in both polls is a sign of respect. However, Michigan State is a top-three team with a strong possibility of becoming national champions for the first time since 2000. You can make a very strong argument that the Spartans should be ranked above Purdue and Duke.
player. 486. . . . Fox Sports has MSU not ranked in their top 3. 4
Like the AP and Coaches polls, the Spartans are not ranked within the top 3. Fox Sports even praises the Spartans saying that Michigan State may have no holes on the team and it is curious as to why they don’t have the Spartans ranked in their top 3.
. . ESPN has MSU not ranked in the top 3 of their rankings. 4. player. 486.
Michigan State has by many accounts the best backcourt in college basketball for this upcoming season with Tyson Walker, A.J. Hoggard, and Jaden Akins. All three are upperclassmen with experience and all three have shown the ability to score and get to the basket.
player. 486. . . . The Athletic doesn't have MSU ranked in their top 5. 6
This preseason ranking makes little sense as Michigan State has so much depth and experience that putting them outside the top 5 is almost unheard of entering this season. For example, they have Tennessee ranked one spot ahead of them and they also have Marquette ranked No. 2. Michigan State should be ranked above both of those teams heading into the regular season.
Michigan State should be the favorite to win the national championship as they are on paper the best team in the country. They have the best backcourt in the country, tremendous depth, and some outstanding freshmen who make this team destined to capture the national championship. Their being ranked outside the top three makes little to no sense.