Michigan State sitting pretty in Joe Lunardi's preseason bracketology projections

After an offseason filled with anticipation, it's finally time for Michigan State men's basketball to begin its 2023-24 season.

Tonight, Tom Izzo's Spartans will take the floor for the first of two exhibition games against Hillsdale College (7:00 p.m. ET, BTN+), before following up with their second exhibition against Tennessee on Sunday afternoon. Michigan State opens the season as the No. 4 team in the Associated Press' preseason Top 25 poll.

Throughout the season, ESPN's Joe Lunardi and 'bracketologists' from other publications will be projecting the field of 68 teams for the 2024 NCAA Tournament. In one final projection before scrimmages begin across the country, Lunardi has the Spartans claiming the No. 1 seed in the West Region. Here's what he had to say about MSU:

Given all their success, it's hard to believe Tom Izzo and Michigan State have garnered just one No. 1 seed since a 1999-2000-2001 threepeat in that department. Yet here are Izzo and the Spartans, sitting atop the West Region in our last preseason Bracketology. But that isn't the ultimate bracket prize for Izzo & Co. With the Midwest Region slated for nearby Detroit, it's not hard to imagine a raucous green crowd pushing the Hall of Fame coach to what would be his eighth career Final Four and perhaps a career-capping second national championship. There are major obstacles, of course, not the least of which is 7-4 Zach Edey and Purdue. The Midwest would also be the Boilermakers' preferred landing spot, so the Spartans can't think about Detroit without eclipsing Purdue in the Big Ten race. It's one more significant storyline in a season full of them.

As mentioned by Lunardi, Purdue is currently the favorite to defend its Big Ten championship from a season ago, which would give the Boilermakers the inside track on the coveted No. 1 seed in the Midwest region, hosted by Detroit. Matt Painter's squad won the Big Ten by a full three games a season ago, and returns every starter. Michigan State, however, is considered the top challenger to the Boilermakers heading into the season.

In addition to Purdue and Michigan State, Lunardi projects Kansas as the No. 1 overall seed and slot them in the South region. Duke is the final No. 1 seed in ESPN's projection, claiming the top spot in the East region.

The Big Ten and the SEC are tied for the most spots in Lunardi's field with eight each. He lists Illinois as a No. 6 seed, Maryland and Wisconsin as No. 8 seeds, Indiana and Ohio State as No. 10 seeds and Northwestern as a No. 11 seed. Lunardi is also keeping an eye on Michigan and Rutgers, who are both listed among his 'Next Four Out' in this projection.

MSU's Tyson Walker on Jerry West 'Shooting Guard of the Year' Watchlist

East Lansing, Mich. – Michigan State men’s basketball guard Tyson Walker was one of 20 players nationally selected to the Preseason Watch List for the Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award.

Walker, a Preseason All-Big Ten selection by the league’s coaches, led the team in scoring in 2022-23 with 14.8 points per game, which ranked 11th in the Big Ten, adding 2.9 assists and 2.5 rebounds per game. The 6-foot-1 guard also ranked 11th in the conference in field goal percentage, connecting on 45.9 percent of his shots from the field. He was second on the team in 3-pointers made (59) and led the team in steals (35, 1.1 per game), which ranked 15th in the Big Ten.

In Big Ten Conference games, Walker led the Spartans with 15.4 points per game, shooting 48.3 percent from the floor and 48.7 percent from 3-point land. He was 10th in conference games in scoring and field goal percentage.

Walker has played in 120 career games (110 starts) and scored 1,480 points, a 12.3 per game average. In 70 games at Michigan State (62 starts), he has scored 800 points, an 11.4 per game average.

Named after Class of 1980 Hall of Famer and 1959 NCAA Final Four Most Valuable Player Jerry West, the annual honor, in its 10th year, recognizes the top shooting guards in Division I men’s college basketball. In addition to being named to the watchlist for the Jerry West Award, Walker was named a preseason All-American by Fox Sports' analyst John Fanta.

Michigan State begins play on Wednesday, Oct. 25, hosting Hillsdale College in an exhibition game at the Breslin Center (7 p.m.). The Spartans will also host AP preseason No. 9 Tennessee in an exhibition game on Sunday, Oct. 29 at the Breslin Center (3:30 p.m.). All proceeds from the game will be donated to the Hawai’i Community Foundation Maui Strong Fund, providing financial resources to the relief efforts from the devastating Maui wildfires in August.

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