Michigan State — one of the teams playing in next month’s Maui Jim Maui Invitational — was ranked No. 1 in the Associated Press Top 25 men’s college basketball preseason poll released last week.
It was the first time in program history that the Spartans topped the early poll. That fact is a little hard to believe when considering their Hall of Fame coach Tom Izzo and the school’s multiple Big Ten titles, Final Four appearances and two national championships.
Michigan State was the overwhelming choice in the AP poll, topping 60 of 65 ballots and easily outdistancing No. 2 Kentucky and No. 3 Kansas — another Maui Invitational team — as the only other squads to receive first-place votes. A dream scenario for college basketball fans would find the Spartans and Jayhawks squaring off in the Maui final on Nov. 27.
Duke, which appeared in last year’s Maui Invitational, was fourth in the AP poll, followed by Louisville, Florida, Maryland, Gonzaga, North Carolina and Villanova to round out the top 10.
Izzo told AP he was surprised that no previous Michigan State team had started the season in the top spot.
“It’s almost bizarre to me because I would’ve thought Magic’s team was No. 1,” he said.
Nope: The Magic Johnson-led bunch that beat Larry Bird and Indiana State in the 1979 NCAA title game started the season at No. 7.
The Spartans won 32 games last year and reached Izzo’s eighth Final Four before falling to Texas Tech.
The Maui Jim Maui Invitational tips off Nov. 25-27 at the Lahaina Civic Center. Other teams in the field are BYU, Dayton, Georgia, UCLA, Virginia Tech and host Chaminade.
For more information, visit mauiinvitational.com.
Send event information, announcements and other sports news to maui@staradvertiser.com.
