REPORT: Where Will Michigan State Basketball Finish in the Conference?
The Michigan State Spartans basketball team will look vastly different entering the 2024-25 season.
The Spartans saw departures from point guard AJ Hoggard and center Mady Sissoko in the transfer portal and brought in a three-man recruiting class of Kur Teng, Jase Richardson, and Jesse McCulloch.
They also dipped into the transfer portal for the first time in three years, adding Omaha transfer Frankie Fidler. Fidler provides the Spartans with a big shooting wing who can put the ball on the floor and get to the rim.
With these additions, plus the departures of Malik Hall and Tyson Walker, where do the Spartans stand when it comes to the Big Ten picture?
Not incredibly high, according to the college basketball publication Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook. The yearly publication has Michigan State finishing sixth in the conference in the upcoming season.
The publication has the Indiana Hoosiers taking home the Big Ten regular season title. The Hoosiers had an impressive offseason, bringing in center Oumar Ballo from Arizona and guard Myles Rice from Washington State. They also added five-star guard Bryson Tucker as part of their recruiting class.
Illinois, Purdue, UCLA, and Ohio State round out the top five, followed by the Spartans. Northwestern, Rutgers, Iowa, Penn State, and Minnesota are projected to be the bottom five teams in the conference.
The Spartans have not won a Big Ten regular season championship since 2020. Tom Izzo is looking to break that streak and get back to the top of the conference.
They have a good chance to make that happen. Jeremy Fears Jr. takes over as the Spartans’ point guard, and he is a return to the Izzo point guard archetype. He is an aggressive defender with natural leadership abilities. The offense should be much smoother with him in charge.
If the Spartans want to return to the top of the mountain, they will have a tough road ahead. There are several talented teams in the Big Ten that they will have to beat.
Finishing sixth in the Big Ten would be an improvement from previous years but still disappointing considering the standard Izzo has set during his 29 years in East Lansing.
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CARTER LANDIS