Michigan State jumps to No. 1 in AP Top 25

Michigan State is No. 1 in The Associated Press men’s college basketball poll for the first time since early in the 2013-14 season.

The Spartans (9-0) jumped from third to a runaway first following last week’s losses by then-Nos. 1 and 2 Kentucky and Maryland. Michigan State received 62 first-place votes Monday from the 65-member national media panel.

Kansas (6-1), which had one first-place vote, moved from fourth to second, while North Carolina, the preseason No. 1, jumped from ninth to third and received two votes for No. 1.

Iowa State moved up one spot to fourth and was followed by Kentucky, Maryland, Oklahoma, Duke, Villanova and Virginia.

Butler, at No. 18, and Utah, at No. 25, are the week’s newcomers, both having been ranked earlier this season. They replace Syracuse, which was No. 14, and Texas A&M, which was 18th.

Written by Adam Zagoria

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Adam Zagoria is a Basketball Insider who covers basketball at all levels. A contributor to The New York Times and SportsNet New York (SNY), he is also the author of two books and is an award-winning journalist and filmmaker. His articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide. He also won an Emmy award for his work on the SNY mini-documentary on Syracuse guard Tyus Battle. A veteran Ultimate Frisbee player, he has competed in numerous National and World Championships and, perhaps more importantly, his teams won the Westchester Summer League (WSL) championships in 2011 and 2013. He lives in Manhattan with his wife and children.