Where Michigan State Men's Basketball Ranks Among Top Programs Since 1997

KenPom has Michigan State men's basketball ranked No. 5 among the Top 20 programs since 1997.

Tom Izzo, wife Lupe Izzo, and Michigan State basketball celebrated beating Duke to advance to the 2019 Final Four. A second straight journey wasn't possible in 2020, thanks to the coronavirus. But the Free Press still will simulate the NCAA tournament bracket. Michigan State Basketball / Kirthmon F. Dozier, Detroit Free Press,

Coach Tom Izzo has established Michigan State men's basketball as one of the best and most respected programs in all of college basketball since becoming head coach in 1995.

Michigan State is, of course, well-renowned for its 1979 title team led by the great Earvin "Magic" Johnson, but it's fair to say the Spartans are more recognized for their success under Izzo, who has become one of the greatest coaches in college basketball history.

KenPom recently ranked the Top 20 men's college basketball programs since 1997. Izzo's Spartans ranked fifth.

Below is the entire list:

20. Baylor

19. Wisconsin

18. Illinois

17. Virginia

16. Michigan

15. Tennessee

14. Florida

13. Texas

12. Louisville

11. UCLA

10. UConn

9. Ohio State

8. Villanova

7. Arizona

6. Gonzaga

5. Michigan State

4. UNC

3. Kansas

2. Kentucky

1. Duke

Izzo has led the Spartans to eight Final Four appearances, including three straight from 1999 to 2001. They have advanced to the title game twice, having won it all in 2000.

Michigan State would then appear in the 2005 Final Four, the 2009 Final Four in Detroit when they fell to UNC in the national title game, the 2015 Final Four and, most recently, the 2019 Final Four.

Izzo has led Michigan State to 26-straight NCAA Tournament appearances.

Much of the Spartans' success can be attributed to Izzo's recruiting, as the Hall-of-Fame coach has landed 17 Top 50 recruits since 2000, seven of which have been five-stars.

If Izzo can make that one last deep tournament run before he calls it a career, perhaps the Spartans' stock would go up as one of the already elite programs in the last quarter of a century.

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