Tag: Andy Katz

Michigan State at No. 12 in first 2020-21 Power 36 NCAA.com Basketball rankings

Michigan State is listed at No. 12 in the first Power 36 rankings of the 2020-21 season by Andy Katz of NCAA.com.

[jwplayer PPs4Ox8k]

College basketball rosters for 2020-21 aren’t even set yet, but it’s never too early for a good preseason ranking. Andy Katz of NCAA.com released his first Power 36 rankings for next season on Wednesday and Michigan State came in at No. 12 overall.

This ranking comes before we know the future of Xavier Tillman at Michigan State. With the graduation of Cassius Winston, Tillman would be the defacto top player on the roster, but with mock drafts already listing him as a first-round pick, it is currently unclear what this team will look like. There is also still a possibility that Aaron Henry could decide to head to the NBA, although it looks like Katz made his ranking with the assumption that Henry would return.

Here is what Katz said about the Spartans:

“No Cassius Winston. No Xavier Tillman for now (still a chance he could come back). But the Spartans have a slew of wings/forwards that will rival any roster with Rocket Watts, Gabe Brown, Aaron Henry, Malik Hall, Marcus Bingham Jr., and Marquette transfer Joey Hauser.”

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

MSU Basketball Forward Xavier Tillman ranks No. 4 on Andy Kat’s Top 5 Big Ten PF list

Michigan State basketball Forward Xavier Tillman ranks No. 4 on Andy Katz’s Top 5 Big Ten Power Forward list. Read more details here.

Michigan State basketball Forward Xavier Tillman was nothing short of spectacular this year in his junior season. As a result, Andy Katz of NCAA.com put Tillman at No. 4 on a Big Ten Top 5 Power Forwards list. Tillman ranks ahead of Indiana’s Trayce Jackson-Davis. Penn State’s Lamar Stevens, Maryland’s Jalen Smith, and Iowa’s Luka Garza all ranked ahead of Tillman at the No. 2 and No. 1 spot respectively.

You can watch Andy Katz explain his rankings below:

I don’t necessarily agree with Andy Katz’s list personally but I understand the rankings. Lamar Stevens, Jalen Smith, and Luka Garza are all primary options on their respective teams. Xavier Tillman is not the primary option and is much more of a defensive threat. Unfortunately, defenders just don’t get the respect they so often deserve. I think Tillman should be incredibly proud of his production this season.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1363]

Michigan State Basketball named Team of the Week by NCAA.com’s Andy Katz

Michigan State has been named Team of the Week by Andy Katz of NCAA.com after wins over Iowa and Maryland.

[jwplayer VePIeMDQ]

After a week in which the Spartans first beat Iowa at home and then knocked off a top ten team in Maryland on the road, Michigan State Basketball has been named the NCAA Men’s Basketball Team of the Week by Andy Katz of NCAA.com. This news comes the same day that Cassius Winston was also named the Big Ten’s Player of the Week for the second time this season.

Andy Katz awards weekly honors to both the Player and Team of the Week on behalf of the NCAA and the Spartans two big wins against top-25 teams, including a win over a top team like Maryland on the road earned them the honor.

Andrew Jones of Texas was Katz’s Player of the Week, for what it’s worth.

Michigan State has a chance to follow-up on their success if they can pull off another top-25 road win on Tuesday against Penn State.

WATCH: Rocket Watts chats about recent success with Andy Katz of NCAA.com

MSU Guard Rocket Watts recently talked to Andy Katz of NCAA.com about the Spartan’s recent hot streak. Watch the full clip here.

Rocket Watts is absolutely crucial to Michigan State’s recent success. The Spartans are on a three-game winning streak heading into tonight’s game against Penn State. Watts contributes on both the offensive and defensive end.

Andy Katz of NCAA.com had a quick chat with Rocket Watts. Watch this conversation below:

Rocket Watts is still confident in MSU’s ability to win the league but does not get ahead of himself. Note, Rocket is averaging 12.6 points over the last five games along with 2.4 assists per game. Watts shut down high-profile Maryland Guard Anthony Cowan Jr. in this past weekend’s matchup with the Terpins. He will have to display dominant defense for a deep tournament run this year.

Michigan State plays against Penn State tonight at 7 P.M. on ESPN.

Stay with us on SpartansWire for more coverage to come.

Michigan State Basketball ranks No. 26 in NCAA.com’s Power 36 Rankings

Michigan State Basketball ranks no. 26 in Andy Katz of NCAA.com’s most recent power-36 rankings. Read why MSU ranks in this spot here.

[protected-iframe id=”bff90d5d34dcd5e05e91760fe12d7adc-142349028-168611744″ info=”//content.jwplatform.com/players/ofLF0moh-er0jUifI.html” width=”640″ height=”360″ frameborder=”0″]

Michigan State Basketball suffered a heartbreaking loss at the Breslin Center to Maryland. As a result, Andy Katz of NCAA.com ranks MSU no. 26 in his power-36 rankings. Note, the Spartans also ranked no. 26 in last week’s power-36 rankings.

Here is what Andy Katz had to say about the Spartans:

“The Spartans were on the verge of their most important win of the season before Maryland got scorching hot.”

Well, Andy Katz is certainly not lying. Michigan State could have swung this season’s narrative with a comeback victory over the Terpins. Instead, critiques now have even more ammunition and the remaining games look bleak.

The best-case scenario now is for Michigan State to develop some type of offensive groove before the end of this season. Is this possible? Very much so. Is it going to happen? Only time will tell.

The Spartans are back in action against Nebraska this Thursday, Feb. 20 on FS1.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1363]

Ohio State basketball drops out of Andy Katz’s Power 36

The Ohio State basketball team has been on a slide. So much so that it has dropped out of Andy Katz’s Power 36 poll.

Once thought to be a juggernaut by March Madness’ and the BTN’s Andy Katz, the Ohio State basketball team has now dropped completely out of his Power 36 weekly opinion poll.

To some degree it makes sense. I mean the Buckeyes have dropped four in a row and have yet to win a game in the new decade. They have begun to turn the ball over at an alarming rate, can’t seem to shoot the ball all of a sudden, and have lacked the toughness necessary to compete at a high level in the Big Ten.

It’s a process to say the least.

So okay. But is Ohio State really not one of the 36 best teams in the country? If the rankings are really about the body of work, then there’s still a lot to like outside of the recent pitfalls. The win over Kentucky on a neutral court is going to look better and better, the win over Villanova is nothing to sneeze at, and the schedule has been brutal early.

Regardless, there’s one way to correct the perception building out there about this Ohio State team. It’s to now go out and start winning again. Clearly, there are some things to correct, but don’t worry, things will get better. Or so we hope.

Where is Ohio State basketball in Andy Katz’s updated college basketball power rankings?

Ohio State receives high ranking in Andy Katz’s latest college basketball power rankings.

If the Ohio State basketball team isn’t the most pleasant surprise of the 2019-2020 season so far, I don’t know what program is. The Buckeyes have already put together a very impressive resume that includes wins over four of the last eight national champions — including Villanova, North Carolina, and Kentucky.

In fact, you literally can’t find a better body of work anywhere in the country, and when it comes time to select teams to be a high seed in the NCAA Tournament in March, these wins will likely hold up against anyone’s even throughout the rest of the season.

March Madness’ and the Big Ten Network’s Andy Katz has taken notice as have other analysts across the country. He has moved Ohio State up to No. 2 in his latest Power 36 college basketball rankings behind only Gonzaga.

Auburn, Oregon and Duke round out the top five, with the rest below.

As good as Ohio State has been, we must all remember that there’s still a long way to go in the season, and the Big Ten is a deep, tough, and a hard conference to navigate. There will be other losses on the schedule, but right now OSU has sent a message to the entire college basketball universe that it’s a team to reckon with this year.