COLUMBUS (WCMH/AP) — The Ohio State Buckeyes men’s basketball team comes in at 18th in the Associated Press’ pre-season Top 25 poll.
The Buckeyes join Michigan State, who was ranked 1st, Maryland (7th), and Purdue (23rd) as B10 teams cracking the top 25.
The Spartans were the overwhelming choice with their veteran returnees led by star Cassius Winston. They topped 60 of 65 ballots in voting results released Monday, easily outdistancing No. 2 Kentucky and No. 3 Kansas as the only other teams to receive first-place votes.
Duke was fourth, followed by Louisville, Florida, Maryland, Gonzaga, North Carolina and Villanova to round out the top 10.
Michigan State had been ranked No. 1 for 12 weeks in the AP poll before Monday. But none had come in the preseason poll, with the Spartans starting at No. 2 four times in the past decade.
The Spartans won 32 games last year and reached Izzo’s eighth Final Four before falling to Texas Tech. They return Winston with fellow starters Xavier Tillman and Aaron Henry from that run, and they get back another starter in Joshua Langford after he missed much of last year with a foot injury.
The full list:
- Michigan State
- Kentucky
- Kansas
- Duke
- Louisville
- Florida
- Maryland
- Gonzaga
- North Carolina
- Villanova
- Virginia
- Seton Hall
- Texas Tech
- Memphis
- Oregon
- Baylor
- Utah State
- Ohio State
- Xavier
- Saint Mary’s
- Arizona
- LSU
- Purdue
- Auburn
- Virginia Commonwealth