Michigan State Debuts at No. 1 in Preseason AP Men's College Basketball Poll

College basketball is set to tip off in a few weeks, and the inaugural AP poll is once again set to turn heads and get the hot take machines revved up.

Tom Izzo and Michigan State are ranked as the best team in college basketball, while Kentucky, Kansas, and Duke follow them in the pecking order. Chris Mack's Louisville Cardinals check in behind them at No. 5, while last year's champions, Tony Bennett's Virginia Cavaliers, are ranked No. 11.

BREAKING: No. 1 Michigan State (@MSU_Basketball) tops AP preseason men’s basketball Top 25 poll; Kentucky, Kansas, Duke and Louisville round out top five.

See the full poll: https://t.co/xXlGQKLkGZ pic.twitter.com/0Ajot3VxTm
— AP Top 25 (@AP_Top25) October 21, 2019

The highest-ranked mid-major team is Gonzaga, who came in at No. 8. UNC and Villanova rounded out the Top 10, while 2019 national runners-up Texas Tech are slotted in at No. 13. Penny Hardaway's dynamite recruiting class, led by No. 1-ranked player James Wiseman, has landed the Memphis Tigers at No. 15.

The Champions Classic in early November will pit the best against the best, as No. 3 Kansas faces No. 4 Duke, while the best two teams in the country face off in Kentucky and the top-ranked Spartans.

The Champions Classic on 11/5 at MSG will feature the AP poll’s top four teams.

7:00 ET: No. 3 Kansas vs. No. 4 Duke

9:30 ET: No. 1 Michigan State vs. No. 2 Kentucky

Incredible way to launch the season. https://t.co/AjLbEZydDP
— Gary Parrish (@GaryParrishCBS) October 21, 2019

After these two dynamite games to start the year, we're sure to see some movement in the polls early on.