Michigan State surges into Top 3 of ESPN's 'Way-Too-Early' rankings
Expectations are soaring for Michigan State men's basketball next season.
Various publications released 'Way-Too-Early- Top 25 rankings for the 2023-24 college basketball season immediately after Connecticut defeated San Diego State for the national championship, and the Spartans were listed in the Top 12 of every list.
After more college players from across the country made their decisions on whether to stay in college or declare for the NBA Draft, ESPN released an updated version of their rankings and MSU came in as the No. 3 team in the country.
Michigan State was No. 6 in ESPN's initial rankings, before seniors Tyson Walker and Malik Hall announced their return. Here's what ESPN had to say about the Spartans now:
We really liked Tom Izzo's team entering the offseason, and that was before Tyson Walker and Malik Hall announced they were taking advantage of their extra year of eligibility due to COVID-19 and returning to East Lansing. Michigan State now has experience, a high-level backcourt, as well as added depth and explosiveness with the arrival of five-star recruits Xavier Booker and Jeremy Fears.
Projected starting lineup:
Tyson Walker (14.8 ppg)
A.J. Hoggard (12.9 ppg)
Jaden Akins (9.8 ppg)
Malik Hall (8.9 ppg)
Xavier Booker (No. 7 in ESPN 100)
MSU head coach Tom Izzo is not shying away from the high expectations his team has garnered.
“In a way, I got the perfect team for me,” Izzo said about the 2023-24 squad. “I got some veterans, I got some rookies. I got some guys that are, I think, competitive. I think we'll add some toughness to this year's team. I think we'll get healthy. … And I'm embracing the opportunity to be ranked high enough, and I'm embracing the challenge of trying to win another Big Ten championship. And I'm looking forward to the chance to compete for a national championship.”
Michigan State is expecting everyone back from last season's team except senior forward Joey Hauser and sophomore wing Pierre Brooks, who will transfer to Butler. Meanwhile, the Spartans add five-star power forward Xavier Booker, five-star point guard Jeremy Fears and four-star small forwards Coen Carr and Gehrig Normand in the 2023 recruiting class.
College players have until April 23 to submit their names into the 2023 NBA Draft, and those who elect to do so while maintaining their collegiate eligibility have until May 31 to withdraw their name and return to college.
Izzo acknowledged that Michigan State could have a couple guys test the NBA waters this spring.
“I don't know if I'll have some — probably — that I'll put their name into the draft. I think that's the popular thing to do now,” Izzo said. “But I think in general, we should have a pretty solid group coming back with a great group of recruits coming in. And you put those two things together, and it's a lot of optimism for next season.”
With 12 players expected to be on scholarship in 2023-24, up from just 10 on scholarship last season, Michigan State will have several position battles to sort out this summer and into the fall. In the backcourt, the Spartans have Walker, Fears, A.J. Hoggard, Jaden Akins and Tre Holloman. The forward positions could rotate Hall, Booker, Carr and Normand, while centers Mady Sissoko, Jaxon Kohler and Carson Cooper will each be fighting for minutes.
“I hope it's incredibly competitive. ... A competitive nature and fighting for something that you want badly as is good,” Izzo said. “And I think this gives us a little chance to be normal. I mean, we weren't normal this year. We not only had 10 on scholarship, but then we had two hurt for some of it, one hurt for a lot of it. So we picked and choosed what we wanted to pick and choose. And you can criticize or commend me for what I decided to do, but I was comfortable with it.
“And yet I am not comfortable with having 10 guys on scholarship. But nor do I think you'll see the day very often there'll be 13 guys on scholarship anymore.”
Michigan State's projected depth only serves to reinforce the assertion that the Spartans are expected to raise banners next season. The Spartans finished fourth in the Big Ten standings a year ago, and Izzo was adamant that Purdue was still the favorite in conference after winning the league by three games in 2022-23. However, the Boilermakers may lose vaunted big man Zach Edey, who submitted his name into the NBA Draft while leaving the door open to return to West Lafayette.
“It won't be easy. There's teams got a lot more back than we got. There's teams that got better talent that we got,” Izzo said. “I just think I like the chemistry of our team. I'll tell you by the end of the summer whether we're as connected as last year's team was, with a few more players that could add to it.”
