With the release of the Associated Press' preseason top 25 poll, we are one step closer to the start of the college basketball season.
The new year is sure to bring in plenty of headlines as Virginia looks to defend its title, Kentucky and Duke again welcome stellar recruiting classses and some new contenders look to make their mark.
Here are some of the biggest takeaways from Monday's AP preseason poll release.
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Michigan State is the unquestioned No. 1
The Spartans enter the new season gathering 60 of the 65 possible first-place votes in the preseason AP poll. Kansas picked up three votes and Kentucky grabbed two. That's it.
The nation clearly thinks highly of Tom Izzo's group. Michigan State brings back All-American Cassius Winston and a strong supporting cast in Josh Langford, Xavier Tillman, Aaron Henry and Kyle Ahrens. This same nucleus defeated Zion Williamson's Duke team last season, so who says it can't run the table this year?
Louisville, Maryland are sneaky Final Four contenders
No. 5 Louisville and No. 7 Maryland enter the new season with similar prospects: Both teams have legitimate talent and experience to advance deep in the NCAA Tournament, but might not gain as much national recognition as they lurk in the shadows of national powerhouses.
Louisville is led by ACC preseason player of the year Jordan Nwora. He is fresh off a breakout season where he averaged 17 points and nearly eight boards a game for the 20-win Cardinals. Anthony Cowan leads the march for the Terps, as the point guard put up a slash line of 15.6/3.7/4.4 for a squad that fell just short of a Sweet 16 berth. With No. 1 Michigan State and No. 4 Duke looking the part of national contenders and gathering all the headlines, Louisville and Maryland could thrive in underdog roles.
Expectations are high in Memphis
One of the most talked-about teams in the country heading into the season is Penny Hardaway's Tigers. Memphis will be ranked 14th in the AP poll on opening night behind a loaded roster that features the nation's top freshman class.
Hardaway's squad is led by potential 2020 No. 1 NBA Draft pick James Wiseman, as well as five-star swingman Precious Achiuwa and four-star Duke decommit Boogie Ellis. Penny's team is exceedingly young and inexperienced, but if he can get the group to mesh, it could be a special season.
Watch out for the little guys
Every year, a few mid-majors are sprinkled into the preseason poll. This time around, No. 17 Utah State, No. 20 Saint Mary's and No. 25 VCU will begin their respective seasons on the national radar. Each of the three teams appeared in last year's NCAA Tournament as Utah State won the Mountain West, Saint Mary's beat Gonzaga for the WCC autobid, and VCU snagged an at-large out of the Atlantic 10.
The Aggies have an elite guard-center duo in Sam Merrill and Neemias Queta, the Gaels bring back senior scoring threat Jordan Ford, and the Rams are led by a stingy defense and senior guard Marcus Evans. Each of the three teams have a blend of experience and coaching to win games in March.
Opening night will be fun
How does a Final Four preview sound for the first night of the regular season? In the annual Champions Classic on Nov. 5 at the Madison Square Garden in New York, No. 1 Michigan State takes on No. 2 Kentucky and No. 3 Kansas battles No. 4 Duke.
Both matchups feature a bout of experience vs. talented freshmen. The Jayhawks roll out returners Devon Dotson and Big 12 preseason player of the year Udoka Azubuike against another star-studded Duke recruiting class in Vernon Carey, Matthew Hurt and Cassius Stanley. The Spartans, meanwhile, have senior leader Cassius Winston to go up against the Wildcats and their freshmen-led group of Tyrese Maxey, Johnny Juzang and Kahlil Whitney. What a way to start a new season.