Michigan State enters the season with a number that jumps off the page: No. 7.
That’s where the Spartans landed in KenPom’s preseason ratings, putting Tom Izzo’s team just one rung shy of the group that has historically looked the most like a national title field. Ken Pomeroy’s rankings have become one of the most respected tools in college basketball because they measure teams through advanced efficiency numbers on both ends of the floor, while also adjusting for opponent strength.
And the track record is hard to ignore. Nineteen of the last 22 national champions started the NCAA Tournament ranked inside the top six of the KenPom ratings.
That doesn’t hand Michigan State anything. It doesn’t even guarantee a deep March run. But it does explain why a top-six spot carries so much weight in the sport, and why the Spartans’ place at No. 7 matters.
The preseason top 10 is stacked, with Duke, Houston, Florida, Illinois, Arizona, Iowa State, Michigan State, Kansas, Alabama and Texas filling out the list. Michigan State is also the second Big Ten team in that group, sitting three spots behind Illinois.
That pairing is already driving plenty of the conversation around the conference race. Illinois and Michigan State are being talked about as the teams most likely to battle for the Big Ten’s top spot, and if both hold up their end of the bargain, an early-February meeting could be one of the season’s most anticipated games. There’s also the chance they cross paths again later in the Big Ten Tournament.
For Michigan State, the message from the numbers is simple: the expectations are real, and the ceiling is high. The Spartans have been handed a tough path, and preseason projections only go so far once the games begin. But a No. 7 ranking from KenPom is a strong signal that this roster has the kind of profile that can compete at the highest level.
If the Spartans can move up just one spot and finish in the top six, history says they’d be in the neighborhood of teams that have gone all the way.
In Other News...
Michigan State Faces A Week 7 Test That Could Change The Mood
Michigan State heads into Week 7 with more than just another Big Ten game on the schedule, because the trip to face Northwestern comes with a handful of storylines that make it feel bigger than the usual midseason grind. Pat Fitzgerald will see his former team on the other sideline, while quarterback Aidan Chiles gets a chance to respond after the Spartans have spent much of the season trying to find steadier footing and build on the improvements they have shown at times.
Northwestern brings a rushing attack that can stress a defense and force a game into the kind of rhythm the Wildcats prefer, which is part of what makes this matchup tricky for Michigan State. The Spartans need a cleaner performance to change the mood around the program, but the preview points to a tight, lower-scoring afternoon, with Northwestern projected to handle the spread and the total staying underneath. [Read more 🡒]
Spartans Keep Controlling Michigan In Rivalry That Just Got More Heated
The latest chapter in the Michigan State-Michigan soccer rivalry had the feel of a game both sides knew might tilt the mood of the season, and it delivered enough bite to match the stakes. At DeMartin Stadium, the Spartans struck first on Leo Connehs goal before Michigan answered with Michael Ramirezs penalty kick after a VAR review, leaving the rivals locked in a 1-1 draw and the Big Bear Trophy staying in East Lansing.
It was also the kind of meeting that rarely lets either side settle in, with physical play producing plenty of fouls and yellow cards as the tension kept building from one end of the pitch to the other. For Michigan State, the result preserves its place tied atop the Big Ten standings and adds another hard-earned notch in a rivalry that has only grown hotter. [Read more 🡒]
Fredrick Moore Gave Michigan State A Needed Reason For Hope
Fredrick Moore gave Michigan State a small but meaningful lift against Illinois, and for a team looking for signs of growth anywhere it can find them, that mattered. The junior wide receiver finished with two catches for 42 yards and a touchdown, producing the Spartans only receiving score of the game while also ranking second on the team in receiving yards.
Moores performance stood out because it came in a game where Michigan State needed somebody to create a spark through the air, and he did enough to show he can be part of the answer. With the Spartans still searching for more consistency on offense, his showing offered at least one reason to think there is something to build on in the weeks ahead. [Read more 🡒]