Big Ten Basketball: Ranking all 18 programs after adding Oregon, UCLA, USC, and Washington

1. Michigan State

When Tom Izzo was hired in 1995, he was succeeded a Hall of Fame coach in Jud Heathcote, who led the Spartans to their first national title in 1979 with Magic Johnson. Fast forward nearly three decades later, and Izzo’s legend is even greater, including his own championship back in 2000. Michigan State still boasts the Big Ten’s most recent national title and have consistently been a national power.

Since Izzo was hired, Michigan State has appeared in eight Final Fours, a number significantly higher than anyone else in this league. Not only is Izzo clearly bringing talented players to East Lansing, but the Spartans are winning the important games, both on the national stage and against their rivals in the Big Ten. His tenure includes a number of conference titles, regular inclusion in the national rankings, and an astounding 25 consecutive trips to the Big Dance.

While the program did advance to the Sweet Sixteen this past postseason, Michigan State has actually taken a slight step back since the start of the pandemic. The Spartans have finished closer to the middle of the pack in the Big Ten and haven’t been higher than a 7-seed in these last three trips to the NCAA Tournament. Is this a sign that momentum is slowing down for Izzo and company?

On the contrary, we can expect this run to continue in East Lansing. A few down years for Michigan State would still be considered incredible success for more than half of this conference. After all, the Spartans are coming off a Sweet Sixteen and bring back an enormous amount of talent for next season. A program that seems to regularly be involved in the national conversation will continue to do so for yars to come.