Michigan State Basketball: Possible opponents for non-conference play in 2021-2022
By Ryan Kay
Michigan State Basketball likely will host Duke in a non-conference game which may be part of the ACC/B1G Challenge or just a regular non-conference home game for the Spartans. Villanova is another likely non-conference opponent as the game will more than likely be part of the Gavitt Tipoff Games.
The Spartans also will play Kansas as part of the Champions Classic. If that is not enough high-level competition in non-conference play, Michigan State is participating in the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament and other teams playing in this event are defending national champion Baylor as well as Syracuse, UConn, Loyola-Chicago, Auburn, and Arizona State.
Michigan State may reschedule their game with Virginia that was canceled last year due to Covid-19 protocols and if the Spartans want to repeat what they did last season by playing in-state schools like Detroit Mercy and Eastern Michigan for example, they could have a full non-conference slate.
Besides non-conference potential opponents, the Big Ten released who the Spartans will play in Big Ten play.
https://twitter.com/msu_basketball/status/1392918212451307520?s=21
Michigan State plays Wisconsin, Maryland, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Northwestern, and Penn State both home and away. The Spartans only have to play Ohio State, Rutgers, and Iowa once but on the road. Michigan State avoids traveling to the state of Indiana as they only play the Hoosiers and Boilermakers once at home as well as only playing Nebraska once and that game is in East Lansing.
The 2021–22 season is scheduled to start on November 9, 2021. The regular season is excepted to conclude on March 6, 2022. Michigan State unlike last season has already begun off-season workouts.
https://twitter.com/msu_basketball/status/1404905979343360004?s=21
If you can imagine the potential non-conference opponents and Big Ten teams that the Spartans will face for the 2021-2022 season, this is what the schedule may look like.
November
Kansas (NYC)
Villanova (Home)
Loyola Chicago, Syracuse, and Baylor (Bahamas)
December
Detroit Mercy (home)
Duke (home)
Oakland (home)
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The Spartans may also play at least two Big Ten teams like seasons past in the month of December and Izzo seems to be putting together once again a tough schedule for the 2021-2022 season. With only 11 scholarship players and the Spartans hope to remain healthy and avoid any COVID-19 issues this season.