Tom Izzo is back in East Lansing for his 30th season, and Michigan State basketball has a lot of returning talent to contend in the Big Ten.
The tradition continues! CBB Review is again ranking the top 100 teams heading into the new college basketball season. Each day, we will reveal the next team until we reach the team slotted at number one. Up next: Ole Miss basketball.
It has seemed that the last couple years Michigan State has had lofty expectations and have been unable to back it up. Some say it is due to Tom Izzo’s inability to get talent via the transfer portal. Well, Izzo got his guy this year, and Michigan State is stacked once again with a lot of familiar faces.
The Spartans are never a team you want to face late in season. The ninth seeded Spartans handily defeated Mississippi State in the first round last year before falling to top seeded UNC. Tom Izzo has made the Sweet 16 six times as a 5-seed or higher, meaning no matter who he has, he is a winner.
However, Izzo and Michigan State basketball are not looking to have a subpar year and make the tournament. They are fully reloaded with a couple of new faces and a lot more familiar ones ready to step into new roles. Michigan State is looking to make noise in the Big Ten, and they have the roster to get it done.
Click here to learn more about our preseason top 100 teams heading into the 2024-25 college basketball season.
Head coach: Tom Izzo (30th season overall, all at Michigan State)
2023-24 record: 20-15 (10-10)
2024 postseason finish: Lost to North Carolina (85-69) in second round of NCAA Tournament
Notable departures:Â
- AJ Hoggard (10.7 PPG, 5.2 APG, 3.1 RPG)
- Tyson Walker (13.7 PPG, 3.5 APG, 2.3 RPG)
- Malik Hall (8.2 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 1.3 APG)
- Mady Sissoko (3.3 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 0.3 APG)
Notable non-conference games:Â
- vs. Kansas (Nov. 12)
- Maui Invitational (Nov. 25-27)
- vs. Oakland (Dec. 17)
Projected Rotation
PG: Tre Holloman (6-2, 185, Jr.)
2023-24 stats: 5.7 PPG, 2.4 APG, 1.6 RPG, 47.1 FG%, 42.5 3P%
SG: Jaden Akins (6-4, 195, Sr.)
2023-24 stats: 10.4 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 1.2 APG, 1.1 SPG, 41.0 FG%, 36.4 3P%
SF: Frankie Fidler (6-7, 217, Sr.)
2023-24 stats: 20.1 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 2.6 APG, 1.2 SPG, 35.6 3P% Â (Omaha)
PF: Xavier Booker (6-11. 245, Jr.)
2023-24 stats: 3.7 PPG, 1.7 RPG, 0.2 APG, 43.9 FG%
C: Carson Cooper (6-9, 250, Jr.)
2023-24 stats: 3.4 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 0.5 APG, 53.3 FG%
6: Jeremy Fears (6-2, 190, R-Fr.)
2023-24 stats: 3.5 PPG, 3.3 APG, 1.9 RPG, 50.0 FG%, 12 GP
7: Coen Carr (6-5, 225, So.)
2023-24 stats: 3.1 PPG, 1.8 RPG, 0.3 APG, 65.1 FG%
8: Jase Richardson (6-3, 180, Fr.)
247Sports Composite #32 ranked recruit
9: Jaxon Kohler (6-9, 245, Jr.)
2023-24 stats: 2.0 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 0.2 APG, 43.5 FG%
10: Gehrig Normand (6-5, 190, Fr.)
247Sports Composite #122 ranked recruit
11: Szymon Zapala (7-2, 210, Fr.)
2023-24 stats: 9.8 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 0.3 APG, 62.9 FG% (Longwood)
Michigan State Basketball Team MVP: Jaden Akins
Akins is Michigan State’s leading returning scorer. The now senior guard put up 10.4 points per contest last season in a contested backcourt that is now freed up with the departures of Hoggard and Walker, which means that opportunity awaits for the four-year Spartan.
Akins will have more volume in his shooting this season, so the percentages might drop a little. However, the addition of Freddy Fidler, a rare transfer portal addition by Izzo, should open up the floor enough for Akins to get good looks. With added offensive firepower, the senior should not feel suffocated by defenses and be able to thrive both inside and beyond the arc. He will also be asked to defend, which he has done a solid job of thus far, averaging over a steal a game last season.
Michigan State Basketball make-or-break player: Jeremy Fears
Maybe make-or-break is not the best term for Fears, who only played 12 games last season before being shot in the leg and having to miss the rest of the season. Thankfully, the injuries Fears sustained were not life threatening, however, coming back from a gun shot wound is both physically and mentally demanding.
A lot of experts have Fears in their starting 5, but it is very possible that Izzo keeps him off the bench until he becomes comfortable again in game. Fears was once the seventh ranked point guard in the nation in 2023 and has the capability to be a star in East Lansing. It will be very interesting to monitor how he responds to this incredibly scary moment.
Key analytic: Rebounding margin
Michigan State did not blow opponents out of the water by any means on the glass. The Spartans had just a 1.1 rebounding margin over opponents last season. Taking into account the buy games that Sparty played, the Big Ten out rebounded Tom Izzo’s squad in conference play.
This should not be an issue this season. Should, key word. Michigan State has a lot of front court depth, including Longwood transfer Szymon Zapala, a sneaky depth piece for Izzo. With Zapala, Booker, Cooper, and Kohler off the bench, Michigan State should crush opponents on the glass.
Michigan State Basketball 2024-25 projections
Projected conference finish: 5th in the Big Ten
Projected postseason ceiling: NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 Exit