Michigan State is the Associated Press preseason No. 1 basketball team, while Kentucky is No. 2. Those teams will open the season Nov. 5 in New York as part of the State Farm Champions Classic. The Spartans are scheduled to return four starters from last year’s 32-win team that advanced to the Final Four.
John Calipari’s Wildcats are a top-five preseason pick for the ninth straight year. The Wildcats have won one national title and appeared in three Final Fours during that time. Last year, Kentucky was 30-7 and lost to Auburn in the Elite Eight.
On the same night Kentucky and Michigan State play, the preseason No. 3 and No. 4 teams will play – Kansas vs. Duke.
Louisville checks in at No. 5, followed by Florida, Maryland, Gonzaga, North Carolina, and Villanova in the top ten.
Xavier is No. 19 and have been picked by several national media members as a sleeper team in 2019-20. LSU (22) and Auburn (24) join Kentucky and Florida as SEC teams in the Top 25.
Defending national champion Virginia is No. 11 in the preseason, while Texas Tech, the team the Cavaliers beat for the national title, is No. 13.