Spartans Hold Steady at No. 2 In Preseason Polls

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The wait is over college basketball junkies, the preseason AP and Coaches Polls have been released. The Spartans hold steady with the no. 2 ranking in the nation, while the Kansas Jayhawks were the unanimous pick for no. 1, receiving 55 of 65 votes.

The Jayhawks finished 27-9 in 2008, only to be knocked off by the Spartans in the Sweet 16, 67-62. Michigan State toppled giants Uconn and Louisville on their road to Ford Field, but came up short to the North Carolina Tarheels.

Unlike many powerhouse teams from last season, the Spartans and Jayhawks return many, if not all of the parts of the nucleus that made them so so successful in 2008.

The Jayhawks return all five starters from last year, most notable of the bunch is star guard, Sherron Collins. Collins is known for his athleticism and physical style of play, and is one of the top guards in the country.

Good thing for Spartan fans, they have one of the other best point guards in the nation in speedster Kalin Lucas. Kalin impressed as a Sophomore and looks to shine as a Junior. Last year's Big Ten player of the Year will take the reigns once again, as he hopes to lead the Spartans to glory in '09. The usual suspects return to boot, Captain Raymar Morgan, Durrell Summers, Delvon Roe is healthy, and Korey Lucious and Draymond Green are eager to build on their young legacies. Isiaih Dahlman will head an experienced, deep bench, who will be on call to contribute as usual.

2008 marked the end of great careers for Spartan favorites such as Goran Suton, 'Quise (Marquise Gray), and Travis Walton. Goran was picked up in the second round of last spring's NBA Draft, and 'Quise is currently playing professionally in Turkey. Their presence will be sorely missed, but the wheels continue to turn, as Derrick Nix and Garrick Sherman are set to fill Goran and Marquise's (big) shoes.

Texas, Kentucky, and Villanova (reached the Final Four last year) round out the top five respectively, and will most likely make tournament runs as well.

Michigan State will square off against two Top 10 teams in the early goings of the 2009 campaign. Sparty goes to Chapel Hill, seeking revenge on the Hansborough-less Tarheels on December 1, and they'll travel to Austin to tangle with the Longhorns on December 22. I'm sure A.J. Abrams and Co. are primed to take one back from Sparty, as they suffered a defeat at the hands of Michigan State last December, 67-63. Tom Izzo's men held A.J. Abrams to just 8 points in the four point victory, and look to stop the uber athletic big man Dexter Pittman for a second straight year.

The Spartans are once again picked to win the Big Ten, a conference that looks to be extremely competitive in 2009. There are five Big Ten teams ranked in the Top 25, the most of any conference. Purdue locks down the no. 7 spot, arch rival Michigan earned the 15th position, with the Buckeyes and Gophers also representing the Big Ten in the polls.

I recently predicted MSU to go 14-4 and notch another Big Ten crown into Tom Izzo's belt, and I'm sticking with it. Michigan will look to challenge, as they have made concerted efforts to re-establish their basketball program, and there's no doubt the Boilers, Buckeyes, and Gophers will have Sparty directly in their sights.

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