GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — After a couple of down years, the Michigan State Spartans’ and the Michigan Wolverines’ men’s basketball teams are back in the AP Top 25.
The Week 6 poll was published Monday, with Michigan at No. 14 and MSU at No. 21.
Michigan (8-1, 2-0 Big Ten) has been a big surprise in head coach Dusty May’s first year. The Wolverines finished a dismal 8-24 last year, moved on from coach Juwan Howard and overhauled much of the roster.
It has paid off so far. Their only blemish was a 72-70 loss on the road to Wake Forest in early November. Since then, Michigan has won seven in a row, including a 25-point win over a ranked Xavier team and a road win over No. 11 Wisconsin last week.
Michigan State (8-2, 2-0 Big Ten) has also had a solid start. The Spartans have opened conference play with two easy victories, including an 18-point road win over Minnesota and a home blowout of Nebraska.
According to MLive, Tom Izzo’s Spartans are back in the AP Top 25 poll for the first time since November 2023.
Michigan will play Arkansas (7-2) in the Jimmy V Classic tomorrow night at Madison Square Garden. Tip-off is set for 9 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.
MSU has a week off before returning to action on Dec. 17 against Oakland (3-5). Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN2.