Jay Bilas Shares Views on MSU Basketball Early in Season

See what one of the top college basketball analysts thinks about the Spartans this year.

ESPN's Jay Bilas speaks during ESPN's 'College GameDay' broadcast ahead of No. 4 Tennessee's basketball game against No. 10 Texas at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tenn., on Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023. Kns Ut Basketball College Gameday | Calvin Mattheis/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

Michigan State basketball is in an interesting position at the start of the 2025-26 season. The Spartans certainly deserve some respect due to their sustained success over the years. They also won the Big Ten and reached the Elite Eight last year.

That respect head coach Tom Izzo's program has accumulated has not really been there in the early parts of this season. MSU was placed at No. 22 in the preseason AP Poll and No. 21 in the Coaches Poll.

Jay Bilas' Rankings

ESPN commentator Jay Bilas before the Kentucky-Auburn men's basketball game Saturday afternoon in Lexington, Kentucky March 1, 2025 | Matt Stone/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

On Wednesday, long-time ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Bilas released his list of the top teams in the sport.

The "Bilas Index" ranks the top 68 teams in college basketball, the same number of teams that make the NCAA Tournament, though it's not a projection of the 68-team field.

Where MSU Stands

Michigan State's Jeremy Fears Jr. looks at Colgate's bench after his steal and score during the first half on Monday, Nov. 3, 2025, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Bilas' article articulates that he is not as optimistic about the Spartans as most others. He has Michigan State down at No. 26 within his rankings and considers MSU to be the seventh-best team in the Big Ten.

The article gives more detailed explanations for the rankings of the Top 25, but Bilas described the Big Ten as "crowded" and says that the conference could be sending 10+ teams to the NCAA Tournament in March.

Opportunities Ahead for the Spartans

Michigan State's Jaxon Kohler, right, celebrates with Cam Ward after Ward drew a Colgate foul during the second half on Monday, Nov. 3, 2025, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Even though Bilas' ranking might not be the most generous out there, it's just a preseason ranking for a reason.

Going off Bilas' rankings of the 67 other teams, MSU has the following teams on the schedule this year: No. 1 Purdue, No. 5 Duke, No. 7 Michigan (twice), No. 8 Kentucky, No. 10 UCLA, No. 12 Illinois, No. 20 Arkansas, No. 23 Wisconsin, No. 25 USC, No. 28 North Carolina, No. 29 Maryland, No. 36 Indiana (twice), No. 40 Oregon, No. 43 Ohio State, No. 47 Nebraska, and No. 60 Northwestern.

Part of that is just how life in the Big Ten is nowadays, but Michigan State's schedule is certainly a challenge this year. According to KenPom (which is not associated with ESPN or Bilas), the Spartans are projected to play 16 "Tier A" games, which accounts for just over half of the regular season schedule.

The first such contest is set for Saturday against Arkansas. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET, and the game will be nationally televised on FOX.

ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Bilas prepares to call the ACC Big Ten Challenge game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Duke Blue Devils at Value City Arena in Columbus on Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2021. Duke At Ohio State Big Ten Acc Challenge | Adam Cairns / USA TODAY NETWORK

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