Category: Tom Izzo

Michigan State Basketball jumps back into Top 10 in latest AP Poll

The Spartans have made their way back in the AP Poll top 10 after starting the season at No. 1 and dropping out entirely at one point.

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Michigan State Basketball had an epic run to end the regular season this year, blowing through Iowa, Maryland, and Ohio State on their way to a share of the Big Ten Regular Season Championship. Because of their recent success, the Spartans have jumped all the way up the national rankings. In the latest AP Poll, MSU is back in the top 10 at No. 9. They were No. 16 last week.

This is a well-deserved recognition of the Spartans’ late-season dominance and the conclusion to a crazy story about the Spartans and their national poll rankings this year.

After starting the season as the consensus No. 1 team in the country, they actually briefly fell out of the AP Poll top 25 (they did not fall out of the Coaches Poll top 25). They have now concluded the regular season in the top 10. This is a remarkable swing for a talented team who had a number of growing pains this year.

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MSU Basketball secures share of Big Ten Regular Season Title, No. 2 seed in Big Ten Tournament

Michigan State has won a piece of the Big Ten Regular Season Title and also earned the 2 seed in the Big Ten Tournament.

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With their 80-69 win against Ohio State, Michigan State Men’s Basketball earned a share of the Big Ten Regular Season Title which they share with Wisconsin and Maryland. They also secured the No. 2 seed in the Big Ten Tournament where they will await the winner between No. 10 Purdue or the still to be determined No. 7 seed team.

This is the third straight Big Ten Regular Season Championship for the Spartans, who, after a rocky start to the season, really found their groove in these last two weeks.

Cassius Winston led the way to the title with 27 points and 6 assists against Ohio State. Xavier Tillman added 15 points and held Ohio State standout Kaleb Wesson to just 8 points.

The Big Ten Tournament will start on Wednesday, March 11 and run through Sunday, March 15. Wisconsin is the top seed and Maryland is No. 3.

One interesting thing to keep in mind heading into the tournament is the possibility of a rematch against Purdue for the Spartans. MSU lost its only game of the season against the Boilermakers 71-42.

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Michigan State Basketball G Joshua Langford still considering a return for fifth year

Michigan State guard Joshua Langford says he is still debating a return for a fifth season after missing this year due to injury.

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Last year, Joshua Langford went out midseason with a devastating foot injury. This year, just before the start of the season, it was announced that he would be out for an extended period of time with an issue with the same foot he had surgery on earlier in the year. That ‘extended period of time’ turned into a full season that Langford would miss. According to Kyle Austin of Mlive.com, Langford will still take part of the senior day festivities this year, but he is still determining if he will return to the Spartans for a fifth and final season.

Since he did not play in any games in the 2019-20 season, Langford would automatically be granted a return to the team.

According to Chris Solari of the Detroit Free Press, head coach Tom Izzo will meet with Langford this week to talk. If he is able, it would be great to see Langford return and play at full strength and do something he has been robbed of this past year.

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Michigan State Basketball a narrow favorite over Illinois on the road

Michigan State is currently listed at -1.5 against Illinois in Champaign according to BetMGM.

Michigan State Basketball is in Champaign, Illinois on Tuesday for another Big Ten match-up, this time against an Illinois team that is ahead of the Spartans in the Big Ten standings but is facing a losing streak of its own. MSU has lost its last three games while Illinois has lost two straight. Despite sporting the longer losing streak, Michigan State will be favored, although just by a hair at -1.5, against Illinois on the road.

Odds via BetMGM. Access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated 2/11/20 at 1:30 a.m. ET.

MSU easily handled Illinois in their last match-up back in January 76-56, but that was back at home in the Breslin Center. I was expecting Illinois to be favored in this one, but I guess oddsmakers aren’t ready to give up on Tom Izzo and the Spartans just yet.

Illinois will host MSU Tuesday night at 9pm ET.

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Michigan State Basketball drops out of AP Poll Top-25 for first time this season

Michigan State Men’s Basketball has fallen out of the AP Poll for the first time this season after starting the year at No. 1.

Sigh. Oh, how the mighty have fallen. After starting the season as the unanimous No. 1 team in the country Michigan State Men’s Basketball has officially fallen out of the AP Poll top-25 after recent losses to Michigan, Penn State, Indiana, and Wisconsin.

According to Kyle Austin of MLive, this is just the second time in NCAA history (with the last time coming in 1968) that the preseason No. 1 team has fallen out of the AP Poll top-25.

While they did not quite make the cut, they still received the most votes of any team that was not included in the top-25. The Spartans received 124 votes in total.

I personally think this is a little bit of a dramatic overreaction by the poll, and MSU is still in the top-25 of the Coaches Poll. Michigan State will immediately get back into that top-25 zone if they can knock off Illinois on the road tomorrow in a huge Big Ten match-up.

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Michigan State Basketball ranked No. 13 in latest NCAA NET Rankings

Despite recent losses, MSU is still ranked in the top-15 of the new NET rankings.

This has been a frustrating part of the Michigan State Men’s Basketball season, with recent losses to Michigan, Indiana, Penn State, and Wisconsin, but the Spartans are still looked at favorably in the NCAA NET rankings. In games through February 8th, which includes yesterday’s loss to U of M, MSU is ranked at No. 13, just one spot below their previous ranking at No. 12.

The NET rankings have replaced the RPI as a tool for the NCAA Men’s Basketball Selection Committee to use to help select the NCAA Tournament seeding and field. The fact that the NET still looks at MSU so favorably makes a lot of sense, given that it just made them a 4-seed in the first tournament preview of the year.

Michigan State will face yet another big road test as they travel to Champaign, Illinois to face off against Illinois in a battle of two teams that are right at the top of the Big Ten standings.

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MSU Basketball head coach Tom Izzo addressed Twitter criticism of Michigan State players

Some Michigan State “fans” have been criticizing the Men’s Basketball team on Twitter and Tom izzo has had enough.

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Michigan State Men’s Basketball came into the season with lofty expectations, and while they have been generally very good, some recent losses have had MSU fans griping on social media. While every sports team is subject to criticism, it can go too far, and head coach Tom Izzo has had enough.

After the team’s recent home loss to Penn State, Izzo addressed those ‘fans’ who have been making comments. Here are, in my opinion, the two most impactful quotes from that statement:

“If there’s any Michigan State people out there that are abusing some of my players on that freakin’ Twitter…I’m sick of it.”

“I get paid a lot of money so take your shots at me. But don’t take them on a kid who’s been a 3.7 student he’s done more for this university than most of those people have.. it’s despicable to me.”

You can watch the full video below:

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Michigan State HC Tom Izzo resigns from NABC Board of Directors

It was announced this morning that Michigan State Men’s Basketball transfer Joey Hauser had lost his waiver appeal to play this year after transferring from Marquette. Head coach Tom Izzo has disapproved of the entire process and the final result …

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It was announced this morning that Michigan State Men’s Basketball transfer Joey Hauser had lost his waiver appeal to play this year after transferring from Marquette. Head coach Tom Izzo has disapproved of the entire process and the final result has led him to resign from the post he has served on the Board of Directors for the National Association of Basketball Coaches.

“I can’t get into specifics, but in looking at the way waivers were approved and denied and then studying like I have, the old standard of one or two reasons has just blown up,” Izzo said regarding his discontent with the transfer appeal process. “Joey did have a strong case, and I’m devastated, if you want the truth. I did not think anything of it in August, because we weren’t gonna do anything. And then the family brought up what’s going on in different places. And seeing what’s been going on and talking to some coaches, I’m devastated for him to have to sit out his second season in three years, because he did (enroll at Marquette) early. I do believe we have a tight team, and we’re gonna get through it. And he’s gonna get through it.”

Izzo had served on the board since 2000 and even held the role of president in 2010-11.

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