NCAA basketball coaches think a whole lot of Michigan basketball and are expecting a better year for Michigan State, according to the first Ferris Mowers poll of the season.
The Wolverines came at No. 6 in the poll released Thursday, behind Gonzaga, UCLA, Kansas, Villanova and Texas, respectively. Michigan, coming off a conference title and Elite Eight run, is the Big Ten's top-ranked team, ahead of Purdue (No. 7) and Illinois (No. 10).
Though U-M lost contributors such as Mike Smith, Chaundee Brown and Franz Wagner, they return Hunter Dickinson, Eli Brooks and several others while adding five-star recruits Caleb Houstan and Moussa Diabate.