Women's basketball poll: Oregon the new No. 1; MSU 17th, UM 25th

The Michigan State and Michigan women's basketball teams are ranked in the preseason Associated Press top 25.

Michigan State checks in at No. 17, and Michigan is No. 25 — two of the five teams ranked from the Big Ten.

Oregon is No. 1 for the first time in school history while Tennessee’s streak of 42 straight appearances in the AP preseason Top 25 is over.

The Ducks, led by sensational guard Sabrina Ionescu, garnered 25 of the 28 first-place votes from the national media panel to earn the top ranking in the poll released Wednesday. With many players back from last season’s team that reached the Final Four, expectations are high for coach Kelly Graves and his team.

No. 2 Baylor, the defending national champion, received the other three first-place votes. Stanford, Maryland and UConn round out the top five. The Huskies have been in the top five for 239 consecutive weeks, since January 2007.

Texas A&M is No. 6 and Oregon State, South Carolina, Louisville and Mississippi State complete the top 10.

Tennessee had been in every preseason Top 25 since 1977, the second year of the poll. The Lady Vols, who saw their remarkable run of 565 weeks ranked in the poll end in 2016, fell out of the rankings Jan. 14 last season and didn’t return to the Top 25. They changed coaches in the spring, bringing back former star Kellie Harper to coach.

Michigan State was 21-12 last season, advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Michigan was 22-12 and also made the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive season.

Associated Press Top 25

1. Oregon (25 first-place votes), 33-5 last season

2. Baylor (3), 37-1

3. Stanford, 31-5

4. Maryland, 29-5

5. Connecticut, 35-3

6. Texas A&M, 26-8

7. Oregon State, 26-8

8. South Carolina, 23-10

9. Louisville, 32-4

10. Mississippi State, 33-3

11. UCLA, 22-13

12. Florida State, 24-9

13. Kentucky, 25-8

14. N.C. State, 28-6

15. Texas, 23-10

16. Notre Dame, 35-4

17. Michigan State, 21-12

T18. DePaul, 26-8

T18. Miami (Fla.), 25-9

20. Arizona State, 22-11

21. Syracuse, 25-9

22. Arkansas, 22-15

23. Minnesota, 21-11

24. Indiana, 21-13

25. Michigan, 22-12

Others receiving votes: West Virginia 71, Iowa State 44, Gonzaga 32, Rice 30, Drake 24, Tennessee 22, Boise State 15, South Dakota 11, South Florida 9, Arizona 9, Iowa 8, South Dakota State 7, LSU 7, Auburn 5, Duke 4, North Carolina 4, Rutgers 2, Kansas Sate 1, Ohio 1