The Spartans have early bragging rights with a No. 6 ranking, while the Wolverines will start the year at No. 20.
Overall, Florida is the first to claim the No. 1 ranking, with Duke, Illinois, Arizona and UConn rounding out the top five.
So are they ranked too low, too high or just right? Let's take a look at how the teams stack up as the 2026-27 season draws near:
Deeper look at Michigan
The defending national champions enter the new year after an offseason marked by turnover. Coach Dusty May left for the Dallas Mavericks in late June, and his assistant, Mike Boynton Jr., was given the full-time job about a week later. U-M also lost six of nine rotational players from last year's 37-3 team, which included a trio of NBA lottery picks in the front court: Big Ten Player of the Year Yaxel Lendeborg, Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Aday Mara and All-Big Ten honoree Morez Johnson Jr.
U-M also lost Nimari Burnett (Toronto Raptors), L.J. Cason (transfer, Miami) and Will Tschetter (eligibility).
Still, this group is picked to be among the best in the Big Ten because of what it returns — potential-All Big Ten first team guards Elliot Cadeau and Trey McKenney — as well as what it added. Moustapha Thiam (Cincinnati) comes in as one of the best centers in the transfer portal, J.P. Estrella (Tennessee) is a highly efficient big man, and McDonald's All-American Quinn Costello is a true sharp-shooter as a freshman.
“That’s going to probably be one of the main gravity points of our offense is those two guys with some shooting around them and figuring out how teams will counter that specific action,” Boynton said of McKenney and Cadeau.
Michigan also should have a pair of fifth years at its disposal, with wing Roddy Gayle Jr. having been cleared by the courts to return to the NCAA ranks for a final season; same with Columbia transfer Kenny Noland, who will backup Cadeau at the point.
Beyond that, there's a number of unproven players whom U-M is expecting to take a leap, such as transfer Jalen Reed (LSU), returners Ricky Liburd and Oscar Goodman, and freshmen Joseph Hartmann and Malachai Brown. U-M has already suffered one major loss this offseason with five-star freshman Brandon McCoy Jr. tearing his ACL while scrimmaging with the team overseas in the summer. He's out for the year.
This group won't have as much brute force downlow but is expected to be better from long range. As they say, guards win in March, and Michigan has some good ones. How the group builds around them will likely determine both the floor and ceiling.
Deeper look at Michigan State
Hall of Fame coach Tom Izzo, who is 36 wins away from 800 for his career, took the Spartans to an active record 28th straight NCAA appearance and a 17th Sweet 16 last season in going 27-8. Point guard Jeremy Fears Jr. was an All-American and returns this season as a National Player of the Year candidate after testing the NBA Draft waters.
MSU finished 11th in the final USA Today Coaches poll after losing to Connecticut in the Sweet 16. Those two teams meet Tuesday night in an exhibition game at Breslin Center (7 p.m./BTN+). The Spartans finished tied for second in the Big Ten a year ago after winning it in 2025, and Izzo remains tied with Bob Knight and Ward “Piggy” Lambert for the most regular-season championships with 11 heading into this season.
Izzo is looking for his ninth Final Four appearance, and the quest of getting to Detroit for the second time it's hosting is a priority. Izzo coached in his second and most recent national title game there in 2009, losing to North Carolina in the final.
Along with Fears, the Spartans return senior captain Coen Carr, sophomores Jordan Scott, Cam Ward and Jesse McCulloch, and juniors Kur Teng and Kaleb Glenn. They’re joined this season by 7-foot-2 senior transfer Anton Bonke and a heralded freshman class with guards Jasiah Jervis and Carlos “C.J.” Medlock, 7-2 center Ethan Taylor and big man Julius Avent.
Izzo has said this might be his deepest and biggest group he’s had as he enters his 32nd season.
“The season is a journey,” Izzo said. “We all know the Final Four is in Detroit, and I know I'll get questions on it. It has nothing to do with where we're at right now. I could be arrogant and say we’re one of the teams – the problem is, we’re one of probably 15 or 20 teams.”
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan State basketball No. 6, Michigan No. 20 in initial coaches poll