Tag: Jon Rothstein

REPORT: MSU Basketball PG A.J. Hoggard out after undergoing meniscus surgery

A.J. Hoggard reportedly had meniscus surgery a few weeks ago but should still be ready for the start of the season, Jon Rothstein reports.

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Michigan State basketball freshman point guard A.J. Hoggard reportedly had meniscus surgery a few weeks ago but should still be ready for the start of the season.

Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports reported the injury news after speaking with head coach Tom Izzo.

Hoggard — who was ranked as the No. 74 overall prospect in the 2020 class by 247Sports — is expected to contend with Foster Loyer for the starting point guard position this upcoming season. With Hoggard out for the past two weeks, I’d now expect Loyer to get the nod as the starter to begin the season.

Rothstein also reported that Izzo “raved about Foster Loyer’s progression” during his conversation with the Spartans’ head coach, but that the point guard position is still not set.

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Reports indicate more shake-ups to MSU Basketball 2020-21 schedule

A flurry of reports came out on Friday evening, making it quite clear the original eight-team Orlando Invitational field is no longer intact

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The crazy schedule-making game of the 2020-21 college basketball season appears to be taking another wild turn for the Spartans as reports are now suggesting the originally planned eight-team Orlando Invitational is no more.

A flurry of reports came out on Friday evening — centered around the original participants of the Orlando Invitational — making it quite clear the original eight-team field is no longer intact. CBS College Basketball Insiders Matt Norlander and Jon Rothstein both reported on Friday evening that three of the teams scheduled to participate in the Orlando Invitational (Gonzaga, Auburn and Boise State) have all agreed to play in different Orlando-based tournaments to start the season.

Then, Norlander followed-up his earlier reports later on Friday evening stating he’s hearing all of the multi-team events in Orlando will be four-team setups and no eight-team events will take place.

So what does this all mean? Well, if these reports are true then it’s disappointing news as we now know that potential intriguing matchups with Gonzaga and Auburn are off the board for the Spartans. It also means quite frankly that we can’t read all too much into any schedule-related reports and won’t know anything until the schedule is announced by the school because things are constantly shifting behind the scenes.

With Michigan State still expected to play in the Champions Classic in Orlando on Dec. 1, we can assume the Spartans will still play in some type of multi-team event in the Orlando bubble to start the season. However, at this point, it’s up in the air who will be their opponents and how many games they’ll play in Orlando.

Earlier this week, Rothstein reported the Gavitt Tipoff Games won’t take place this season, which at the time left the Spartans with two available non-conference games. I anticipate the Spartans will play at least three or four games in the bubble (two in multi-team event and Champions Classic) so expect Michigan State to still have two or three spots left to fill on the non-conference slate.

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Report: Gavitt Games ‘unlikely to take place’ this year

The plan is to move forward with the Gavitt Games returning for the 2021-22 season.

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Jon Rothstein continues to help us piece together the 2020-21 Michigan State basketball schedule, and he reported on Wednesday what we had originally thought to be the case last week — no Gavitt Games this year.

Last week, we tried reading the tea leaves of numerous reports and it seemed apparent Michigan State would not participate in this year’s Gavitt Tipoff Games. There simply appeared to be no room in the Spartans’ schedule based on previous reports and there were thoughts that only geographically close matchups (i.e. Northwestern-DePaul or Nebraska-Creighton) would take place in the event so it should come as no shock that Rothstein is reporting the event won’t occur this year.

Rothstein added that the plan is to move forward with the Gavitt Games returning next year — which Michigan State should certainly be part of based on contract obligations.

With the Gavitt Games officially off the table, Michigan State still has two spots to fill on their non-conference portion of the 2020-21 schedule. We can expect those two slots to be filled by traditional “buy games” with two mid-major opponents visiting the Breslin Center.

Here is how the non-conference schedule is appearing to shape up based on reports from college basketball insiders:

  • Nov. 25 – 27: Orlando Invitational (three games; tournament field includes Gonzaga, Auburn, Xavier, Belmont, St. Louis, Boise State and eighth TBD team)
  • Dec. 1: Champions Classic vs. Duke
  • Dec. 8 or 9: ACC-Big Ten Challenge vs. TBD team
  • December: Two more non-conference games

Read more on how the Spartan basketball schedule is looking based on reports

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Rockett Watts listed as one of college basketball’s top ‘breakout’ players in 2020-21

Jon Rothstein of College Hoops Today listed Watts as one of the top breakout players in all of college basketball entering this season.

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Rocket Watts finished last year strong, and that impressive final stretch has him on the lookout by many as we enter the upcoming season — including Jon Rothstein of College Hoops Today.

In September, Rothstein listed Watts as one of the top breakout players in the Big Ten entering the 2020-21 season, and this week he elevated that claim to one of the top breakout players in all of college basketball.

“Watts averaged 17.8 points during Michigan State’s final four games of last season before things were shut down due to COVID-19. If he can keep his offense elite while also creating for his teammates, this 6-2 sophomore has the requisites to be one of the best players in the Big Ten,” Rothstein wrote on Watts.

Watts averaged 9 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists last season, and as Rothstein said really came on strong down the stretch for the Spartans. The sophomore guard is expected to take on a larger role this year with Cassius Winston and Xavier Tillman off to the NBA. It is unknown at this point if Watts will take over Winston’s spot as the lead point guard or if he’ll remain more of a scoring threat off the ball.

Click here to read the entire list of players that made Rothstein’s breakout list, including two other guys from Big Ten squads.

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Multiple reports indicate MSU unlikely to play in Gavitt Games

A pair of reports from college basketball insiders indicates the Spartans won’t take place in this year’s Gavitt Tipoff Games

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The reports keeping coming and the puzzle pieces keep sliding into place on Michigan State basketball’s 2020-21 schedule.

Yesterday, I published an article on the latest status of the Spartans’ 2020-21 college basketball schedule with a few unknowns still lingering. One of those question marks was the Gavitt Tipoff Games — which traditionally pits the Big Ten and Big East, similar to the ACC-Big Ten Challenge — but a pair of reports from college basketball insiders indicates the Spartans won’t take place in this year’s event.

Andy Katz of NCAA.com reported the Big East is “committed” to playing their agreed-upon series of games with the Big 12, appearing to put the Gavitt Games on the back burner for the league. Katz added that a handful of Big Ten-Big East games could be played if the teams are located close to each other, such as Northwester-DePaul or Nebraska-Creighton.

Earlier in the day, Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports tweeted that the Big East has a target window of Dec. 12 – 23 to play potentially four conference games, which basically takes up the entire back half of December from playing non-conference games.

So with Michigan State having no nearby Big East opponents, and their schedule basically booked up through Dec. 9 and the Big Ten schedule most likely starting no later than early January, it seems almost impossible to squeeze in the Gavitt Games this year.

Keep in mind, that this is all speculation at this point since neither Michigan State nor the Gavitt Games have announced anything but it does make sense for the Spartans to skip the event this year. Their non-conference schedule was stripped down from normally 11 games to only seven because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and nearly all of those seven games are already filled up with high-level competition.

Here is the current schedule breakdown based on reports from the past few weeks:

  • Nov. 25 – 27: Orlando Invitational (three games; tournament field includes Gonzaga, Auburn, Xavier, Belmont, St. Louis, Boise State and eighth TBD team)
  • Dec. 1: Champions Classic vs. Duke
  • Dec. 8 or 9: ACC-Big Ten Challenge vs. TBD team
  • December – March: 20-game Big Ten conference schedule

This leaves the Spartans with two non-conference games left to add to the schedule. If teams are thinking more locally-based when finding opponents, don’t be surprised if the Spartans add the Oakland Grizzlies and one of the in-state Mid American Conference foes to round out the schedule.

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What we know about MSU Basketball’s 2020-21 Schedule

There’s been a flurry of reports over the past few weeks giving us the opportunity to piece together the Spartans’ 2020-21 schedule.

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In a normal year the Michigan State basketball schedule would have been finalized a few months ago and we’d already be able to play the win-loss prediction game as the season neared. However, as we all know by now 2020 has been far from a normal year so it is no surprise that we are less than two months out from the opening tip of the season and we still don’t know who, when or where exactly MSU will be hitting the hardwood this year.

The good news is there’s been a flurry of reports over the past few weeks giving us the opportunity to piece together the Spartans’ 2020-21 slate as we await for the final schedule to be released from the school. A number of national media members and college basketball insiders have put out reports related to the Spartans in the past two weeks, making it easy to connect the dots on what Michigan State’s schedule will look like this season.

Here’s what we know about the upcoming Michigan State basketball schedule — keeping in mind that these are reports from undisclosed sources,  and that we are still awaiting the official schedule to be released from the program.

MSU will open season with Orlando Invitational

Thanks to Jon Rothstein, college basketball insider with CBS Sports, we now know the Spartans will start the 2020-21 season with the Orlando Invitational. Rothstein reported on Tuesday that the Orlando Invitational will take place from Nov. 25 – 27, and with Nov. 25 being the first official day games can take place this year, it’s now evident that the Spartans will open the campaign with this early-season tournament.

The other teams in the tournament currently include potential-preseason No.1 Gonzaga, Auburn, Xavier, Belmont, St. Louis and Boise State. The eighth team is still to be determined at this point.

We are still waiting to see how the bracket looks, but we at least know the Spartans’ first three games of the season will take place in the Orlando Invitational.

Spartans-Blue Devils renew rivalry to start December

Based on the rotation of teams, we knew entering this year that Michigan State would face off against Duke in the Champions Classic, but we weren’t sure exactly when and where. Jeff Goodman of Stadium confirmed earlier reports that the Champions Classic will be played on Dec. 1, and will also take place in the Orlando bubble.

This will be the fifth straight year the Spartans and Blue Devils will battle on the hardwood, with Duke winning three of the last four meetings — including last year at the Breslin Center.

ACC-Big Ten Challenge: We know when and potentially where, but not who

It was reported last week that the ACC-Big Ten Challenge would move forward as originally planned with games taking place on-campus on Dec. 8 and/or Dec. 9. Depending on how the rest of the schedule shakes out, this will most likely be the Spartans’ first game played outside of the Orlando bubble, and potentially the first true road game of the year for Michigan State. The Spartans hosted Duke last year in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge so expect them to be on the road this season.

With Duke already on the schedule, potential opponents for Michigan State in this year’s edition of the ACC-Big Ten Challenge includes North Carolina, Virginia, Louisville or Florida State. Andy Katz of NCAA.com believes the Spartans and Cavaliers would make for a great early-season match-up.

Rest of schedule still left to be determined

Based on all of these reports, five of the maximum seven non-conference games are accounted for meaning there are still two open spots. Michigan State is contracted to play in the Gavitt Games as well, which pits the Big Ten against the Big East, but reports indicate that the Spartans won’t participate in this year’s event. If the event is played, then the Spartans will have one remaining non-conference game left to add.

Expect the Big Ten to keep the same 20-game model as the past two seasons to round out the rest of the 2020-21 schedule. In previous years, Big Ten teams have played at least two games in the month of December but at this point there is no indication if that will continue this season or not.

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Jon Rothstein lists Michigan State basketball guard Rocket Watts as Big Ten breakout player

NCAA basketball Insider Jon Rothstein lists Michigan State basketball Guard Rocket Watts as a Big Ten Breakout player. Read more here.

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Michigan State men’s basketball will look very different this season with the absence of Cassius Winston and Xavier Tillman. As a result, the Spartans need a player to step up and provide productivity in a deep Big Ten.

College Hoops Today NCAA basketball Insider Jon Rothstein has listed Michigan State guard Rocket Watts as one of 10 Big Ten breakout players.

Last season, Watts averaged 9 points, 1.7 assists and 2.3 rebounds. This season, he will be asked to play more as a primary ball-handler. There is serious potential for Watts averaging more points and more assists. All the while, he will be a stellar defender on the perimeter.

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The Badgers close to the top in yet another preseason ranking

Yesterday CBS Sports insider Jon Rothstein released his latest “Rothstein 45 for 2021” and had the Badgers as the No. 5 team in the…

Yesterday CBS Sports insider Jon Rothstein released his latest “Rothstein 45 for 2021” and had the Badgers as the No. 5 team in the country.

As seen above, the four teams ahead of the Badgers–in order–are Villanova, Baylor, Iowa and Virginia, with Gonzaga, Kansas, Michigan State, Duke and Creighton rounding out the top 10.

This ranking continues an offseason of ranking and media love for Greg Gard’s team as they were recently the highest-seeded Big Ten team in Joe Lunardi’s bracketology and the No. 7 team in ESPN’s Way-Too-Early Top 25.

The biggest story surrounding the team is the fact that they return nearly all of their meaningful contributors from last season while welcoming in an impressive freshman class.

But the biggest thing for me about this team? They are in nearly every writer’s top 25 without having an NBA Draft prospect in their starting five.

Though Villanova is at the top of Rothstein’s rankings also without an NBA Draft prospect, nearly the entire top 10 has at least one or two players set to hear their name called next year.

It obviously still needs to come to fruition on the court, but Gard’s team is poised for a big season in the most Wisconsin way ever–stellar defense, consistent offense and no players set to join the NBA ranks.

Mike Brey Unhappy About Pending Waivers for NCAA Transfers

Mike Brey was one of the first voices in taking on transfers and redshirting them.

Mike Brey was one of the first voices in taking on transfers and redshirting them. It made Notre Dame a respected program under his guidance. But even he has his limits, and he’s not happy that the NCAA might implement a one-time transfer exception for all student-athletes.

In Monday’s appearance on “College Hoops Today with Jon Rothstein”, Brey made his thoughts on the integrity of transferring clear:

“Every transfer I’ve taken both here at Notre Dame and when I was at Delaware did the year in residency and they’re better off for it. Is it this generation? It is this culture — that they’re just impatient about waiting a year and getting stronger as a basketball player? What about the academic component and the graduation rates?”

Before you post the “Old Man Yells at Cloud” meme, know that he’s not as upset at today’s student-athletes as he is about the reasoning behind this consideration. He made this clear when asked if he thought the NCAA doesn’t want to deal with waivers anymore:

“It is disappointing on the part of the NCAA and I think a little weak on their part quite frankly. Their explanation is, ‘We have tried to weed through these waivers. Some of them have been presented with false information and lies and we’re forced to make a decision on whether or not this young man should be eligible right away.’ I just think that it is a safe political position to back it up and make it a one-time waiver for all transfers. I thought we could handle that stronger in Indianapolis. I definitely think that is the argument. They can’t get through the waivers. They feel there’s too much false information. There’s too much work and maybe a potential lawsuit if they grant it for one young man and not another. Coaches sound off publicly — they (NCAA) get bad press. I just don’t understand why we can’t see the big picture. A year in residency is a good thing.”

Chances are Brey simply is letting off steam before before this inevitable change comes to college sports. It’s funny how the cause you championed can become something you dislike because it’s evolved into something beyond what you believed it. That’s because it’s not your own cause anymore.

NCAA announces the date men’s and women’s basketball programs can return to action

The NCAA announced yesterday that July 20 is the date men’s and women’s basketball programs can begin summer activities, according to…

The NCAA announced yesterday that July 20 is the date men’s and women’s basketball programs can begin summer activities, according to a tweet from CBS Sports insider Jon Rothstein.

The news comes on the heels of early-mid June being the time that football programs can begin their organized preseason activities and also with the news that the NCAA delayed their decision on temporary altering the recruiting calendar for both men’s and women’s basketball.

The college basketball season is far-off in the distance compared to college football teams trying to prepare their players and coaches for the rapidly-approaching season, but this time in the offseason is invaluable for the basketball programs as they get ready for the long winter season.

Much is obviously still up in the air, though, as nobody truly knows what college athletics will look like this year both in terms of fan attendance and how normal the season schedules will look.