Michigan State Basketball suffered a surprising second-round loss to Syracuse last season. Can they bounce back despite losing Miles Bridges and Jaren Jackson?
Michigan State had as good of a 17-18 regular season as any fan could have hoped for. The Spartans won the Big Ten regular-season championship and finished with a 30-5 record overall. Unfortunately, that fifth loss came in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in an upset defeat against a Syracuse team that snuck into the field of 68.
The season ended on a sour note which is a shame given how dominant Michigan State was throughout the season. Before losing to Syracuse, the worst team the Spartans’ lost to (according to KenPom) was Ohio State who was ranked 16th.
Making matters worse, Michigan State also loses its two best players, Miles Bridges and Jaren Jackson. These departures were expected as both players were picked in the NBA Draft lottery, to the Hornets and Grizzlies respectively. Bridges is a super athletic combo forward who can also knock down long-range shots. Jackson is the rare floor spacing shot blocker and he might have the best NBA career of anyone in the 2018 draft.
Both players were played out of position in college in an effort to get the best players on the court at once. Bridges is certainly capable of playing the three, but he would have been most effective at the four. Same with Jackson, who played mostly the four, but would have thrived at center. This could be one reason they struggled with turnovers; not playing guys at their natural position.
Michigan State’s only other departures are minor as three senior reserves have exhausted their eligibility. Ben Carter was once an effective and promising player, but injuries derailed his career. The 6’9” PF/C averaged 8.6 ppg and 6.0 rpg for UNLV in 15-16, but only scored 15 points all last season. Gavin Schilling was a defensive minded center who brought rebounding and physicality to the Spartans frontline and Tum Tum Nairn was a tough defensive floor general with a limited offensive game.
Even after losing five players, including two to the NBA, Michigan State is still brimming with talented veterans. When combining these returners with the 17th ranked recruiting class, the Spartans program is in great shape for this season and for the near future.
This article will preview Michigan State and analyze their starters, reserves, and non-conference schedule. It will conclude with some major questions and a prediction of where the Spartans will land in the Big Ten and nationally.