After tumultuous offseason, is Michigan State in danger of missing NCAA Tournament?
Not many things have gone Michigan State's way this offseason, as the Spartans have experienced a lot of roster turnover coming off a 23-13 season in 2021-22.
Roster turnover isn't inherently negative, but there have been more departures from the program than additions.
Seniors Gabe Brown and Marcus Bingham Jr. declined the option of playing another season due to the COVID-19 waiver, opting instead to pursue professional careers. Likewise, freshman Max Christie chose to remain in the 2022 NBA Draft after playing just one season in East Lansing.
Another blow came when backup center Julius Marble, who was in line to start for Michigan State next year with Bingham Jr.'s departure, entered the transfer portal and committed to Texas A&M.
With all of that attrition, it should come at no surprise that Michigan State is trending downward in ESPN Bracketologist Joe Lunardi's latest projection for the 2023 NCAA Tournament.
Lunardi still projects the Spartans to safely make the field of 68, slotting Michigan State in as a 6-seed in the West Regional bracket. The Spartans are matched up with 11-seed St. John's in the projection.
Lunardi surrently projects seven Big Ten teams to reach the 'Big Dance', with Michigan earning the automatic bid out of the conference as a 4-seed. Other Big Ten teams include Indiana (5-seed), Purdue (6-seed), Ohio State (7-seed), Illinois (7-seed) and Iowa (8-seed).
Michigan State has a nation-leading streak of 24 consecutive appearances in the NCAA Tournament, and if that streak is extended to 25 next season it will set a national record.
Also, with the recent retirements of Duke's Mike Krzyzewski and North Carolina's Roy Williams, Michigan State's Tom Izzo now has the most Final Four appearances among active coaches in college basketball.
If you were a high school recruit, which of these active Men's Final Four coaches would you want to play for the most? ⚔️ pic.twitter.com/iqRffAWjSi
— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) May 14, 2022
Even with a sub-standard offseason, the cache that this program has built throughout its history carries a lot of weight.
All is not lost for the Spartans. Getting senior Joey Hauser back for another season was an important development for MSU, which is in dire need of front court depth. Incoming freshman forward/center Jaxon Kohler is another big addition.
It will be interesting to see what Izzo and his staff do with the all the guards on the roster. A.J. Hoggard looks ready to be the starting point guard, while incoming freshman point guard Tre Holloman is talented enough to come in and be the primary backup right away.
That could slide Tyson Walker down to the shooting guard position, which would free him up to look for him own shot more often than he did a season ago when he was asked to orchestrate the Spartans' offense for much of the season. Add in an increased role for to-be sophomore Jaden Akins, and Michigan State has a lot of talented options at both of its guard positions.
Malik Hall could slide up and join the starting rotation at small forward, while Hauser continues to start at power forward and Kohler starts at center. That's a pretty solid rotation of seven guys, though the lack of depth for the frontcourt remains a concern. Continuing to develop the athletic to-be junior Mady Sissoko is a big key this offseason.
This roster still has some good pieces. Izzo and his staff may still dip into the transfer portal to add depth on the wing and down low, but the transfer market has thinned quite a bit since the season's conclusion. For now, we just have to wait and see how things shake out.
Twitter: @mlounsberry_SI
