Senior guard Keith Appling, left, congratulates sophomore guard Denzel Valentine on making a free throw Jan. 21, 2014, at Breslin Center during the game against Indiana. The Spartans defeated the Hoosiers, 71-66. Julia Nagy/The State News
—Even in the heart of football season, ESPN has begun turning its eyes to colder weather, and college basketball.
MSU was ranked No. 9 in a recent future power rankings analysis, behind ESPN's paywall. The Spartans lost last season in the elite eight of the NCAA tournament to eventual champion Connecticut.
The Spartans rank highest in the Big Ten, one spot ahead of Michigan and two spots ahead of Ohio State.
"The Spartans aren't winning the title this season," ESPN.com college basketball writer Any Katz said in the article. "But don't cancel out the next few."
Duke was ranked highest of any team in the country, followed by Kansas and Kentucky.
MSU tips off its season on Friday, November 14 against Navy in the Veterans Classic.
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