Michigan State Basketball: Analyzing entire Spartans 2019-20 schedule
By Ryan Kay
The entirety of Michigan State Basketball’s schedule has been released for the 2019-20 season. Who are the toughest opponents for the Spartans?
Michigan State Basketball released their regular season full schedule and by all accounts, it will be more difficult to navigate in comparison to last season’s slate. The Spartans non-conference schedule is arguably the most difficult in the country. Michigan State’s Big Ten 20 game schedule is not easy and the Spartans will be tested early and often. Let’s take a look at some highlights now that the Big Ten released its full schedule.
Tom Izzo and the Spartans after coming off of a season highlighted by a co-Big Ten regular-season championship, Big Ten Tournament championship, and a Final Four appearance in the NCAA tournament look to win a national championship in 2020.
Michigan State is a general consensus pre-season #1 but they will be tested early and often.
Michigan State’s 2019-20 schedule
Level of difficulty 1 to 10 with 10 being the highest and 1 being the lowest.
LOD = Level of Difficulty
Non-Conference Slate
Nov. 5th vs. Kentucky (Champions Classic) – LOD: 9
Nov. 10th vs. Binghamton – LOD: 2
Nov. 14th at Seton Hall (Gavitt Games) – LOD: 8
Nov. 18th vs. Charleston Southern – LOD: 3
Nov. 25th vs. Virginia Tech (Maui Invitational) – LOD 5
Nov. 26th vs. winner of Georgia vs. Dayton (Maui Invitational) – LOD: 6.5
Nov. 27th vs. TBA: Kansas/UCLA/BYU (Maui Invitational) – Kansas LOD: 10 UCLA LOD: 6.5 BYU LOD: 7
Dec. 3rd Duke (ACC/Big Ten Challenge) – LOD: 8.5
Dec. 14th vs. Oakland (Detroit) – LOD: 3.5
Dec. 21st vs. Eastern Michigan –LOD: 4
Dec. 29th vs. Western Michigan –LOD: 3
Big Ten Conference Slate
Dec. 8th vs. Rutgers – LOD: 4.5
Dec. 18th at Northwestern – LOD: 5
Jan. 2nd vs. Illinois – LOD 5.5
Jan. 5th vs. Michigan – LOD: 6.5
Jan. 9th vs. Minnesota – LOD: 5
Jan. 12th at Purdue – LOD: 8
Jan. 17th vs. Wisconsin – LOD: 6
Jan. 23rd at Indiana – LOD: 8
Jan. 26th at Minnesota – LOD: 6.5
Jan. 29th vs. Northwestern – LOD; 4.5
Feb. 1st at Wisconsin – LOD: 7.5
Feb. 4th vs. Penn State – LOD: 5
Feb. 8th at Michigan – LOD: 8
Feb. 11th at Illinois – LOD: 8.5
Feb. 15th vs. Maryland – LOD:7
Feb. 20th at Nebraska – LOD: 6.5
Feb. 25th vs. Iowa – LOD: 5.5
Feb. 29th at Maryland – LOD: 8.5
March 3rd at Penn State – LOD: 7.5
March 8th vs. Ohio State – LOD: 6
The highlights of the schedule being on a neutral court against fellow blue blood Kentucky. Traveling to Seton Hall who may be a top-15 preseason team will be no easy task for the Spartans. Michigan State then travels to Hawaii to participate in the Maui Invitational where they will open up against ACC foe Virginia Tech. In the next round, the Spartans will face either Georgia or Dayton in the tournament. A potential finals match up could see Michigan State versus Kansas in an epic championship match up. The Spartans face yet again another blue blood program in Duke in the ACC/Big Ten challenge game in East Lansing.
The Big Ten schedule does Michigan State no favors as they travel to Michigan, Purdue, Indiana, Wisconsin, Illinois, Penn State, and Maryland. The Spartans have Home and Away’s with the Gophers, Wildcats, Fighting Illini, Wolverines, Terrapins, and Badgers. Michigan State lucks out not having to travel to Iowa, Ohio State, and Rutgers.
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This is a tough schedule, to say the least for the Spartans but they will be battle-tested for another Final Four run. Unlike last season, Michigan State should have more depth and athleticism this year with a stellar senior group. Aspirations of another national championship are in the sights for the green and white as they prepare for the 2019-2020 season.