ESPN Places Michigan State at No. 8 in Way-Too-Early Top 25 Rankings

College basketball fans have something to talk about at the water cooler this morning, as ESPN released its way-too-early Top 25 rankings following the final wave of NBA Draft decisions and roster announcements across the country.

Now, with rosters as close to finalized as they are going to get for the 2026-27 college basketball season, the first major preseason rankings have arrived, and Michigan State finds itself comfortably inside the top 10 at No. 8.

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The Spartans are the third-highest-ranked Big Ten team, trailing only the No. 3 Michigan Wolverines and No. 4 Illinois Fighting Illini.

Sitting atop the rankings are the defending national champion Florida Gators at No. 1, followed by the Duke Blue Devils at No. 2.

Separating the Big Ten trio are last season’s national runners-up, the UConn Huskies at No. 5, the Tennessee Volunteers at No. 6, and the St. John’s Red Storm at No. 7.

Rounding out the top 10 at No. 9 and No. 10 are the Texas Longhorns and Arizona Wildcats.

Other Big Ten teams appearing in the way-too-early rankings include No. 12 USC and No. 22 Nebraska.

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Interestingly, Michigan State was actually ranked No. 9 in ESPN’s initial projection before moving up one spot following the official announcements that Jeremy Fears Jr. and Anton Bonke would return to East Lansing and forgo the NBA Draft for the time being.

The Spartans are being propped up by something that often gets overlooked in today’s college basketball landscape: experience. The return of five of the team’s top seven players from last season gives Michigan State a roster loaded with chemistry, continuity, and understanding.

Despite losing big men Jaxon Kohler and Carson Cooper, the Spartans bring back Jeremy Fears Jr., Coen Carr, Kur Teng, Jordan Scott, and Cam Ward. Each player possesses the ability to take over a game in his own way.

Then, when you combine that returning core with the No. 6 recruiting class in the country, it’s easy to understand why national media is buying into…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/espn-places-michigan-state-no-141302364.html

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Publish date : 2026-06-02 14:13:00

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