Is MSU Basketball Poised for a Surprise Surge or a Stunning Slide in the Latest Preseason Poll?

You know, every offseason brings its own rollercoaster of excitement and heartbreak for college hoops fans — and this year, Michigan State is right there in the thick of it. Despite losing incoming transfer Kaleb Glenn to a tough, season-ending injury during workouts, the Spartans haven’t skipped a beat in CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein’s eyes. He slots them in at No. 21 nationally in his 2025-26 preseason top 45, firmly placing them fifth in the stacked Big Ten. It’s a testament to the program’s resilience and depth, even amid roster shakeups, that they maintain their spot among the elite. With ten Big Ten teams peppered throughout Rothstein’s rankings, it’s clear this conference is buzzing — but Michigan State refuses to be overshadowed. Curious to see how it all shakes out? LEARN MORE

• CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein ranks Michigan State basketball 21st in his preseason top 45.
• This ranking places Michigan State 5th in the Big Ten, behind Purdue, Michigan, UCLA, and Oregon.
• Rothstein maintained Michigan State’s ranking despite the recent season-ending injury of incoming transfer Kaleb Glenn.
• Ten Big Ten teams are included in Rothstein’s top 45 preseason rankings.

Michigan State recently lost incoming transfer wing Kaleb Glenn to a season-ending injury during offseason workouts. He was expected to be one of the Spartans’ key reserves off the bench this upcoming season.Among Big Ten teams, Michigan State is ranked No. 5. The Spartans are behind the following teams: Purdue (No. 1), Michigan (No. 5), UCLA (No. 6) and Oregon (No. 20). Rothstein’s rankings include the top 45 teams in the country, so he also had the following teams from the Big Ten included behind the Spartans: Illinois (No. 22), Wisconsin (No. 23), Ohio State (No. 26), USC (No. 33), Maryland (No. 35) and Nebraska (No. 41).Click on the post below to see the complete rankings from Rothstein:Despite some recent unfortunate injury news for the Spartans, Jon Rothstein still considers Michigan State a top 25 team ahead of the 2025-26 season.

The ranking for the Spartans didn’t change despite the loss of Glenn, which I found somewhat surprising. It’s also hard to truly understand the impact of losing Glenn since he was an incoming transfer and not considered a starter — so leaving Michigan State put also makes sense.

Rothstein — a well-known college basketball insider with CBS Sports — released updated preseason rankings for the 2025-26 campaign, and he has Michigan State in the top 25. The Spartans checked in at No. 21 in Rothstein’s most recent rankings.

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