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Michigan State basketball: Is No. 10 preseason AP Top 25 ranking too high?

By Connor Muldowney

DETROIT, MI - MARCH 16: Cassius Winston #5 of the Michigan State Spartans reacts during the first half against the Bucknell Bison in the first round of the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Little Caesars Arena on March 16, 2018 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
DETROIT, MI - MARCH 16: Cassius Winston #5 of the Michigan State Spartans reacts during the first half against the Bucknell Bison in the first round of the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Little Caesars Arena on March 16, 2018 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /
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Michigan State basketball opens the 2018-19 season as the nation’s 10th-ranked team. Is this too high for the Spartans?

Ready for the 2018 football season to be over? It’s expected after Michigan State lost to top rival Michigan on its home turf, but the Spartans still have plenty to play for, including a bowl bid.

Must Read: MSU football: 5 takeaways from Michigan loss

Michigan State basketball is right around the corner and the Spartans are tipping off the season with one of the most difficult stretches of non-conference action in the country. This team will be ready, though, with plenty of talent returning to a Big Ten regular season champion squad.

AP voters are realizing just how good this Michigan State team could be, too, ranking the Spartans No. 10 in the preseason Top 25.

What makes these preseason rankings even more interesting is the fact that Michigan State has a not-so-secret scrimmage with No. 3 Gonzaga on Oct. 27, No. 1 Kansas in the season-opening Champions Classic, No. 21 UCLA in the Las Vegas International. If the Spartans beat UCLA, they will face either No. 8 North Carolina or Shaka Smart’s Texas Longhorns.

By the time conference play begins, the Spartans could have a couple of top-10 wins and a potential third ranked victory over UCLA. Teams like Louisville and Florida could flirt with the AP Top 25 as well as they’re both on the Spartans’ schedule.

As for the Spartans’ No. 10 ranking, is this too high for a team that didn’t make it out of the first weekend last year in the NCAA Tournament?

I’d say that maybe it is, especially since the Spartans have lost two lottery picks, but they return so much talent and one of the best incoming freshman classes in the country. Michigan State was much better than that Syracuse lost last season and they return Cassius Winston, Nick Ward, Xavier Tillman, Josh Langford and Matt McQuaid, among others.

The Spartans could have a special team, avoiding some of the distractions that wore on them last season. This year’s team may not finish with a better regular season record, but I’d be shocked if it didn’t make a Sweet 16, or further, run.

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Tom Izzo just needs to adjust to the times and go with what works — also, work on trying to break the zone.

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