Michigan State Makes a Return to the Top

Michigan State waited 21 years between national championships. It took a little longer for the Spartans to become No. 1 in the Associated Press college basketball poll a second time.

On Monday, the defending national champions became the third team to hold the top ranking this season, joining Duke, which was No. 1 the last four weeks until losing to Stanford last Thursday, and Arizona, which was the preseason No. 1 and stayed there for the first two weeks of the regular season.

The Spartans (9-0), who defeated Seton Hall in their only game last week, became No. 1 for the first time in school history on Jan. 3, 1979, and stayed there for one more week.

That team was led by sophomore guard Magic Johnson and went on to win the only other national championship in school history.

Duke (10-1) dropped from first to third and was one of seven schools that last week lost for the first time this season. Stanford moved up to No. 2 after its 84-83 victory over the Blue Devils.