Michigan State University Athletics
Spartans Ranked 17th In Preseason Associated Press Poll
11/8/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 8, 2006
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Adding to the list of preseason rankings that include Michigan State's women's basketball team, the preseason Associated Press poll has placed the Spartans 17th in its rankings, the organization announced on Wednesday. The Spartans, under seventh-year head coach Joanne P. McCallie, have won 115 games in the last five seasons and have earned AP rankings in each of the 55 polls.
The Spartans entered the Associated Press poll on Dec. 1, 2003, ranking 24th after opening the season 4-0 en route to a 22-9 campaign that included an appearance in the NCAA Tournament's second round. Since then, the Spartans have risen as high as sixth in the final Associated Press poll in 2004-05 (released before the NCAA Tournament and the Spartans run to the national championship game). In the 55 polls, the Spartans have posted in the Top 10 11 times. Since the final poll of the 2003-04 season ranked them 23rd, the Spartans have been inside the top 20 for the last 36 polls.
The USA Today/ESPN Coachs' Preseason Poll also ranked MSU 17th in the nation, the 50th time in the last 51 polls that the team has earned a ranking. Michigan State reached a program-best second in the rankings in the final 2004-05 poll after its run to the national championship game. The Spartans entered the USA Today/ESPN Coaches' Poll for the first time in the McCallie era on Dec. 29, 2003, ranking 22nd, falling out of the poll only during the final 2003-04 poll after reaching the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
The rankings come after Michigan State made back-to-back trips to the Sweet 16 and a 2005 National Championship game appearance. In 2005-06, the Spartans went 24-10 and concluded a third-place, 11-5 campaign in the Big Ten. Despite losing the program's two all-time leading scorers, the Spartans return three starters and nine letterwinners from that squad.
Defending NCAA Champion Maryland topped the poll with 47 of 48 preseason first-place votes and 1,246 points. The Spartans will meet Maryland on the road in a CBS game on Jan. 6. The Spartans play four other teams ranked in the Top 25 of the AP Poll as the team will square off against Ohio State (7th, away, Feb. 18), Louisiana State (10th, home, Dec. 17), Rutgers (12th, away, Jan. 28) and Purdue (11th, home, Jan. 11; away, Feb.11). The Spartans also play four teams that received votes in the preseason poll, in Hartford (Auburn Hills, Dec. 9), South Florida (home, Dec. 3), Iowa (away, Jan. 14; home, Jan. 21) and Penn State (away, Jan. 25; home, Feb. 1).
The Spartans wrap up their exhibition season at the Breslin Center on Sunday with a 2 p.m. test against Division II's Ferris State before opening the season at home on Friday, Nov. 17 against Bucknell at 7 p.m.
