REPORT: Michigan State Sits Top 15 in 2025-26 Rankings
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Many have seemed to write off Michigan State men's basketball after an offseason of significant losses and just a couple of transfer portal additions.
The Spartans, of course, lost their two all-conference guards, Jaden Akins and Jase Richardson, who had an opportunity to return as one of the top players in the nation next year.
They also fell victim to the transfer portal, losing key contributors in Tre Holloman, Gehrig Normand and Xavier Booker. On the other side, they landed Kaleb Glenn and Trey Fort, two scorers who filled major needs on Michigan State's roster.
All the while, the Big Ten got better around the Spartans, and many don't see them as contenders again next year.
Gary Parrish of CBS Sports says otherwise, though. In Parrish's latest 2025-26 rankings, he placed the Spartans at No. 14, trailing only three Big Ten foes: Purdue (3), Michigan (7) and UCLA (9).
"This ranking is based on the Spartans returning four of the top eight scorers -- specifically Coen Carr, Jaxon Kohler, Jeremy Fears and Carson Cooper -- from a team that finished 30-7 and advanced to the Elite Eight of the 2025 NCAA Tournament," Parrish wrote. "That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by Samford transfer Trey Fort, FAU transfer Kaleb Glenn and four-star freshmen Cam Ward and Jordan Scott."
Now, getting back four of your top eight scorers isn't exactly remarkable, especially when you lost your top three. However, the returners mentioned are all veterans who were key components of Michigan State's run to the Elite Eight, three of them having started at least once in the tournament.
When you blend that with who the Spartans are bringing in, you're looking at a pretty solid roster. And throw in sophomores Kur Teng and Jesse McCulloch if you need more assurance.
Other Big Ten foes who made Parrish's top 26 were Oregon (16), Illinois (22), Wisconsin (25) and Ohio State (26).
Once again, it's looking like the Big Ten is going to be stacked, just as it was last season in the first year of the expanded 18-team conference. And yet Michigan State won by three games.
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