Spartans move up in latest preseason poll from prominent national analyst

Michigan State men's basketball has moved up in the latest preseason rankings from a prominent national analyst.

The Spartans moved up one spot into the top five nationally in the latest preseason rankings from Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports. Michigan State moved up to No. 5 in Rothstein's latest poll -- which is one spot higher from when I last checked in with Rothstein's preseason poll nearly two weeks ago.

Michigan State moved up thanks to rival Michigan sliding a few spots down. The Spartans are now only behind the following teams in Rothstein's updated rankings: Florida (No. 1), Duke (No. 2), Illinois (No. 3) and UConn (No. 4).

The Spartans return a number of key pieces from last year's team that reached the Sweet 16, including All-American point guard Jeremy Fears Jr. His return has spearheaded a large amount of preseason expectations for the Spartans heading into next season.

Click on the post below to see the complete updated preseason rankings from Rothstein:

ROTHSTEIN 45.

TOP 10:

1. Florida
2. Duke
3. Illinois
4. UConn
5. Michigan State
6. Arizona
7. Michigan
8. Virginia
9. Texas
10. Tennessee

CC: @FDSportsbook, @FanDuelResearch. https://t.co/ser9xaVpCm

— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) July 20, 2026

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This article originally appeared on Spartans Wire: Spartans move up in latest preseason poll from prominent national analyst