Poll: MSU One Of Best College Basketball Teams In 2017-18
EAST LANSING -- CBS Sports polled more than 100 college basketball coaches on who will be the best team in 2017-18, and one team from the state of Michigan cracked the list.
While it's nearly college football season again, that doesn't mean it's not too early to look ahead to the college basketball season. Or at least that's what writers at CBS Sports believe, who released a story on Monday that announced who the coaches think are the best teams in the country. On that list is Michigan State.
Michigan State earned 28 percent of the coaches' votes for the top team in college basketball, which finished second only to Arizona, who received 40 percent of the votes. Filling out the remainder of the list was Duke and Kansas tied for third at 9 percent and Louisville at 6 percent.
This should come as no surprise as Michigan State is still listed as one of the favorites on Vegas Insider to win the National Championship next year. However, some of the coaches' quotes featured in the story will get your attention, including this great one from one anonymous coach.
"Has (Spartans coach Tom) Izzo ever had this much talent? Miles Bridges is a motherf*****. The Jackson kid (freshman Jaren Jackson) is better than you think. I don't know their schedule. But I bet they don't lose more than two Big Ten games."
Another quote from the story pointed out that while Arizona is always deep in talent that Michigan State may go further because of Izzo.
"Michigan State, just because any time (Izzo) has mature teams they are hard to handle. He does an incredible job period, but when he has mature teams in his system that do what he wants, watch out. Arizona's that team that always has the talent but always falls a little bit short, a game or two short."
While this is a simple poll that has no impact on the upcoming season, it does further the hype train for this Spartans team entering next year. Only time will tell if Michigan State can live up to the hype and can capture Izzo's second national championship.
Michigan State officially opens the season on Nov. 10 against North Florida. They'll play a pair of exhibition games before that against Ferris State (Oct. 26) and Hillsdale (Nov. 3).
