NCAA Basketball: Preseason picks to be No. 1 seeds in 2024 NCAA Tournament

Michigan State Spartans

2022-23: 21-13 (11-8 in Big Ten), NCAA Tournament: Sweet Sixteen

It’s been over 20 years since a team from the Big Ten has won a national title, incidentally being Michigan State back in 2000. The Spartans and Tom Izzo have advanced past the Sweet Sixteen just once since 2016, and while the postseason success they’ve had since would be very good for most programs it’s not the type of results they’re used to or expect in East Lansing. Whether or not this team is the one to break those streaks remains to be seen, but it is arguably the best since that final four season in 2016.

This Michigan State team isn’t built like most others in the portal age of college basketball. The Spartans return eight of their top 10 contributors from last season. The veteran backcourt of A.J. Hoggard, Tyson Walker, and Jaden Akins all return, as does the frontcourt duo of Malik Hall and Mady Sissoko.

That experience through continuity is rare in today’s game and Izzo is hoping it’ll help lead the Spartans back to where they think they can be. But the Spartans also have the depth to compete with anyone. With the likes of sophomores Carson Cooper, Tre Holloman, and Jaxon Kohler potentially ready to take big jumps and freshman Jeremy Fears, Jr. ready to challenge for minutes in the backcourt, Michigan State is as talented as they’ve been in a while.

If Michigan State ends up on the top seed line on Selection Sunday, it will be on the back of the work they do in league play. Before that begins, their neutral-site games with Duke, Arizona, and Baylor are the only highlights of the Spartans’ non-conference slate. Still, Michigan State has the talent and the conference schedule that will earn them one of the coveted No. 1 seeds.