The Michigan State Spartans are the #2 team in the Associated Press poll; released today. They were also chosen the unanimous Big Ten favorite heading into the 2013-14 college basketball season. MSU is also #2 in The Sports Bank’s 111 in 111 conducted by David Kmiecik (that’s forthcoming)
Michigan State Spartans sophomore Gary Harris was named Preseason Player of the Year. Michigan and Ohio State were selected to finish second and third. Michigan State, which is ranked No. 2 in the preseason Coaches poll, returns four starters from last year’s team that advanced to the Sweet 16 and finished with a 27-9 record. Tom Izzo enters his 19th year at the helm.
Harris led a six-member preseason All-Big Ten team, as the media vote resulted in additional honorees due to a tie. He was joined on the team by the Wolverines’ Mitch McGary and Glenn Robinson III, Michigan State’s Adreian Payne, the Buckeyes’ Aaron Craft and Penn State’s Tim Frazier.
Both Dave and I had a lot of time today at Big Ten Media Day with Harris, Payne, Keith Appling and Tom Izzo. We’ll have a lot more with Izzo and Harris between now and the season opener.
And of course, the Champions Classic comes here to Chicago this year. The Michigan State Spartans versus Kentucky in the opener. Kansas versus Duke in the nightcap. This is a big year for Sparty; just like two years ago when they entered the preseason #2
The complete 2013-14 preseason poll and All-Big Ten Team:
2013-14 Big Ten preseason rankings
1. Michigan State Spartans
2. Michigan
3. Ohio State
2013-14 preseason all-conference team
Mitch McGary, Michigan
Glenn Robinson III, Michigan
Gary Harris, Michigan State Spartans
Adreian Payne, Michigan State Spartans
Aaron Craft, Ohio State
Tim Frazier, Penn State
2013-14 player of the year
Gary Harris, Michigan State Spartans
Paul M. Banks is the owner of The Sports Bank.net, an affiliate of Fox Sports. He’s also an analyst for multiple news talk radio stations across the world; with regular weekly segments on NBC, CBS and Fox Sports Radio. Follow him on Twitter (@paulmbanks) and RSS