Michigan will start the season ranked once again this year, but the defending Big Ten Champions aren’t nearly as highly regarded as they were in recent years.
The Wolverines are ranked 23rd in USA Today’s Poll, behind four other conference foes, after starting the last two seasons ranked in the top ten.
Wisconsin (No. 4), Michigan State (No. 18), Ohio State (20), Nebraska (21) and Iowa (25) are the other league teams to earn a spot in the poll.
Michigan will face several top 25 teams during its non-conference schedule including a difficult road game at No. 2 Arizona. The Wolverines will also face SMU (No. 22) and Syracuse (No. 24) as well as a game against either Villanova (No. 12) or VCU (No. 16) in Brooklyn.
Find the complete USA Today Top 25 Preseason Poll after the jump. (Photo: Dustin Johnston)
| Preseason USA Today Coaches Poll | |||
| Rank | School | Votes | Prev Rank |
| 1 | Kentucky | 785 (24) | NR |
| 2 | Arizona | 746 (3) | NR |
| 3 | Duke | 715 (2) | NR |
| 4 | Wisconsin | 706 (3) | NR |
| 5 | Kansas | 654 | NR |
| 6 | North Carolina | 598 | NR |
| 7 | Florida | 568 | NR |
| 8 | Virginia | 519 | NR |
| 9 | Louisville | 507 | NR |
| 10 | Texas | 479 | NR |
| 11 | Wichita State | 471 | NR |
| 12 | Villanova | 439 | NR |
| 13 | Gonzaga | 423 | NR |
| 14 | Iowa State | 323 | NR |
| 15 | Connecticut | 292 | NR |
| 16 | VCU | 259 | NR |
| 17 | San Diego State | 251 | NR |
| 18 | Michigan State | 241 | NR |
| 19 | Oklahoma | 237 | NR |
| 20 | Ohio State | 223 | NR |
| 21 | Nebraska | 156 | NR |
| 22 | SMU | 149 | NR |
| 23 | Michigan | 139 | NR |
| 24 | Syracuse | 128 | NR |
| 25 | Iowa | 56 | NR |
