The USA Today Preseason Top 25 poll was released on Thursday and the Kentucky Wildcats are near the top.
Kentucky checks in at No. 2 in the poll, ahead of No. 3 Kansas and No. 4 Duke. Michigan State claimed the No. 1 spot in the poll, receiving 30 first place votes. Michigan State and Kentucky are also ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the preseason AP Poll that released earlier this week.
The annual State Farm Champions Classic will feature the top four teams in both polls. Kansas and Duke will play the first game at 7:00 p.m. ET. on Tuesday, November 5th at Madison Square Garden. The Wildcats and Spartans will follow at 9:30 p.m. ET. on ESPN.
Related: Kentucky-Michigan State will be Battle of the Top 2 Teams in the AP Poll
In addition to Kentucky, four more SEC teams are ranked in the first USA Today Coaches Poll of the season (No. 6 Florida, No. 23 Auburn, No. 24 LSU and No. 25 Tennessee). Mississippi State received seven votes, good enough for 37th.
Overall, Kentucky will play 11 games vs. teams ranked in the preseason poll. The Wildcats will play Michigan State (No. 1), Louisville (No. 5), Florida (No. 6), Texas Tech (No. 12), Ohio State (No. 16), Auburn (No. 23), LSU (No. 24) and Tennessee (No. 25). Kentucky will play Auburn, Florida and Tennessee twice.
The entire AP Poll can be found below.
- Michigan State
- Kentucky
- Kansas
- Duke
- Louisville
- Florida
- Gonzaga
- Maryland
- Virginia
- Villanova
- North Carolina
- Texas Tech
- Seton Hall
- Oregon
- Memphis
- Ohio State
- Arizona
- Baylor
- Utah State
- Saint Mary’s
- Xavier
- Purdue
- Auburn
- LSU
- Tennessee
