Michigan State men's basketball falls out of AP Top 25 following 0-2 week
Michigan State men's basketball fell out of the Associated Press Top 25 poll for the first time since Nov. 22 after back-to-back losses to Penn State and Illinois this week.
The Spartans began the season unranked, but entered the poll in Week 4 as the No. 22 team in the country after a 5-2 start. Michigan State would eventually work its way up No. 10 in the country, but has been in a steady decline over the past five weeks.
Over that span, the Spartans have lost six of their last ten games, including defeats in four of their last five games. In this latest poll, Michigan State is the first team out of the rankings, receiving 58 points, essentially making the Spartans the No. 26 team in the country.
The Spartans next opponent, Iowa, is ranked No. 25 after receiving 59 points in the poll.
At the top of the poll, No. 1 Gonzaga is now a unanimous choice for the best team in the country. The Bulldogs are followed b No. 2 Arizona and No. 3 Auburn, who swapped positions this week.
No. 4 Purdue and No. 5 Kansas each rose one spot to their respective spots, while No. 6 Kentucky fell two spots. No. 8 Villanova and No. 9 Texas Tech each climbed two spots, while No. 10 Baylor fell three spots to round out the Top 10.
Joining the Boilermakers and Hawkeyes as ranked Big Ten teams are No. 13 Wisconsin, No. 15 Illinois and No. 22 Ohio State. Meanwhile, Rutgers joins Michigan State in the "Others receiving votes" category, as the Scarlet Knights earned 35 points in this week's poll.
The biggest riser this week was No. 18 Arkansas, which climbed five spots after wins over Missouri and Tennessee. Michigan State's seven spot fall was the largest drop of any team this week.
For the full Associated Press Top 25 poll, click here.
