Michigan State Basketball: 2023-24 season preview for the Spartans
By Joey Loose
Schedule Outlook
Not too many national eyes will be on the Spartans’ first few games, as they’ll open the season against James Madison and Southern Indiana at home. The attention turns to November 14th as the Spartans face off against Duke in Chicago as part of the Champions Classic.
After that significant test, they’ll play host to Butler as part of the Gavitt Tipoff Games. After another very winnable home game, the Spartans head down to Palm Springs, playing Arizona for the Acrisure Classic on November 23rd.
Early December brings a brief glimpse at conference play, as the Spartans’ first taste of the Big Ten comes against Wisconsin on December 5th followed by a road game at Nebraska a few days later.
The final significant test will be a neutral-site game in Detroit against a strong Baylor squad on December 16th. Following this, they’ll stay at home through the holidays for three more mid-major contests, including Indiana State right before New Year’s.
January brings intrigue with the beginning of conference play. Road trips to Illinois, Maryland, and Wisconsin won’t be easy, though they’ll play all three schools at home as well. Their home-and-home against rival Michigan starts at home on January 30th and concludes in Ann Arbor nearly three weeks later.
Their most notable matchup of conference play comes on March 2nd for their only matchup against Purdue. Heading to West Lafayette certainly won’t be easy in a matchup of what should be the Big Ten’s two strongest teams. Senior Night is four days later against Northwestern and a tough road game at Indiana finishes their regular season on March 9th.