Where Michigan basketball ranks in preseason AP poll
Michigan Wolverines basketball is projected to contend for the Big Ten title and a run in March in 2022-23, and the preseason Associated Press poll reflects just that. The Maize and Blue checked in No. 22 in the first rendition of the rankings.
No. 1 North Carolina, No. 2 Gonzaga, No. 3 Houston, No. 4 Kentucky, Baylor (t-5th) and Kansas (t-5th) lead off the rankings. Michigan takes on North Carolina Dec. 21 in Charlotte as part of the inaugural Jumpman Invitational. The Wolverines will play Kentucky earlier that month, Dec. 4 at the O2 Arena in London, England. They also have a date with the Virginia Cavaliers, who rank No. 18, at Crisler Center Nov. 29 for the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.
Michigan is one of three Big Ten teams to begin the season ranked, along with No. 13 Indiana and No. 23 Illinois. The Wolverines will play Indiana twice — Feb. 11 in Ann Arbor and Mar. 5 in Bloomington — and Illinois once, Mar. 2 in Champaign.
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Michigan finished last season by reaching its fifth consecutive Sweet 16, before falling to Villanova in the South Regional semifinal. The Wolverines were the No. 8 seed in the Big Ten Tournament and a No. 11 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
The Wolverines have seven newcomers of their 13 scholarship players, but the most important piece remains in junior center Hunter Dickinson, a preseason All-Big Ten honoree who has led Michigan in scoring and rebounding each of the last two seasons.
Despite so many new faces on the squad, including two key transfers in graduate point guard Jaelin Llewellyn (Princeton) and guard Joey Baker (Duke), the Maize and Blue have their sights set high.
“I guess you could take a wild guess,” fourth-year Michigan head coach Juwan Howard said at the team’s media day last week after being asked what his teams goals are. “No changes. Always thinking about winning and growing and working hard for our biggest goals, and that’s winning championships — not just one.
“We are playing in one of the toughest conferences in college basketball — I will say the toughest conference — and that’s the Big Ten. From that level of all the great coaches, and players that play in the Big Ten, that’s always going to be a challenge. Because teams do a great job of scouting you, and vice versa. You also get to know each other because we play against each other, sometimes, not once, but twice. And then you face your opponent again in the Big Ten Tournament.
“So that’s another one of our goals to win that [Big Ten regular season] championship. And then last but final, the ultimate NCAA championship. That’s something that I’ve always been peeking at, scratching the surface since the time when I played here at the University of Michigan, and haven’t done it yet. But I’m always fired up about it. Let’s go.”
Full preseason AP Top 25 rankings
1) North Carolina Tar Heels
2) Gonzaga Bulldogs
3) Houston Cougars
4) Kentucky Wildcats
T5) Baylor Bears
T5) Kansas Jayhawks
7) Duke Blue Devils
8) UCLA Bruins
9) Creighton Blue Jays
10) Arkansas Razorbacks
11) Tennessee Volunteers
12) Texas Longhorns
13) Indiana Hoosiers
14) TCU Horned Frogs
15) Auburn Tigers
16) Villanova Wildcats
17) Arizona Wildcats
18) Virginia Cavaliers
19) San Diego State Aztecs
20) Alabama Crimson Tide
21) Oregon Ducks
22) Michigan Wolverines
23) Illinois Fighting Illini
24) Dayton Flyers
25) Texas Tech Red Raiders
