Michigan State Basketball Ranked in Preseason Top-10
Michigan State is ranked No. 6 on Goodman’s preseason top-50 for 2020-21 and No. 10 in ESPN’s way-too-early 2020 rankings. Even with multiple concerns surrounding the Spartan roster, they continue to get high recognition. Other than losing their star point guard, Cassius Winston, their most significant question marks are centered around junior center Xavier Tillman and Aaron Henry.
Both have declared for the NBA draft, but maintain their college eligibility. Neither player has made a final decision yet. The Spartans plan on adding two freshmen in center Mady Sissoko and combo guard AJ Hoggard. Still, even with the possibility of Joshua Langford returning, health permitting, they don’t have a clear replacement for Winston.
Should Tillman or Henry decide to leave MSU, who will they add to fill the pending scholarship? Their ultimate source of improvement will come from transfer forward Joey Hauser, who was forced to sit out last season after the NCAA denied his appeal to play. The skilled big man will help MSU stretch the floor with his perimeter shooting.
The 2019-20 Spartans dreams of bringing a national championship back to East Lansing were cut short by the coronavirus pandemic. Any remaining winter sports and all spring sports were canceled, resulting in the cancellation of the NCAA tournament and the Big Ten tournament.
Had the Spartans been able to compete, Tom Izzo thinks he had a team “that could have gotten to a Final Four, could’ve won a national championship.” What’s bothering him is that his seniors didn’t have one last chance to participate in March Madness.
“As far as me goes, I can get it done. As far as Cassius and those seniors and the seniors all around the country, I just feel for them because they don’t get the chance to even finish.”
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