Oct. 29, 2009

EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan State men's basketball team is ranked second in the 2009-10 Associated Press Preseason Top 25 and the ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Preseason Poll, both of which were released Thursday, Oct. 29. Seven of MSU's opponents are ranked, including Texas (No. 3 AP/No. 3 ESPN), North Carolina (No. 6/4), Purdue (No. 7/7), Michigan (No. 15/15), Ohio State (No. 16/17), Illinois (No. 23/-) and Minnesota (No. 25/18). MSU's No. 2 ranking in the AP Top 25 is its highest preseason ranking in school history, having previously been ranked No. 3 in 1999-2000, 2000-01 and 2003-04.

Michigan State returns three starters and 12 letterwinners from a team that finished with a 31-7 overall record and a 15-3 conference mark, capturing its fifth Big Ten title under 2009 Big Ten Coach of the Year Tom Izzo. The Spartans advanced to the Final Four for a nation's-best fifth time in the last 11 years, before falling in the national championship game. Izzo will look to guide MSU to back-to-back titles for the first time since he boosted the program to at least a share of four straight championships from 1998-2001.

The Spartans open the exhibition season on Sunday, Nov. 1 against Northwood at 4 p.m.

The Associated Press Top 25
1. Kansas (55)
2. Michigan State (5)
3. Texas (1)
4. Kentucky (3)
5. Villanova
6. North Carolina (1)
7. Purdue
8. West Virginia
9. Duke
10. Tennessee
11. Butler
12. Connecticut
13. California
14. Washington
15. Michigan
16. Ohio State
17. Oklahoma
18. Mississippi State
19. Louisville
20. Georgetown
21. Dayton
22. Georgia Tech
23. Illinois
24. Clemson
25. Minnesota

ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Poll
1. Kansas (27)
2. Michigan State (3)
3. Texas
4. North Carolina (1)
5. Kentucky
6. Villanova
7. Purdue
8. Duke
9. West Virginia
10. Butler
11. Tennessee
12. California
13. Washington
14. Connecticut
15. Michigan
16. Oklahoma
17. Ohio State
18. Minnesota
19. Mississippi State
20. Georgia Tech
21. Georgetown
22. Dayton
23. Louisville
24. Clemson
25. Syracuse