6. Michigan State Spartans
You never want to bet against Dana Altman. And you never want to bet against Tom Izzo, either.
It was a special season in East Lansing last year, winning the Big Ten regular season title en route to a 30-win, Elite Eight finish.
However, Tom Izzo and the Spartans will have a bit of a rebuild on their hands after losing their top three scorers -- and it didn’t help their case with FAU transfer Kaleb Glenn expected to miss the 2025-26 season due to an offseason injury.
Despite this, Michigan State has plenty to work with as Jeremy Fears Jr -- who had the second-best assist rate in the Big Ten last season (39.1) -- will lead the backcourt after taking a significant sophomore year jump last season.
Fears will likely be paired alongside Samford transfer Trey Fort, who adds much-needed perimeter scoring for the Spartans after shooting 44.8% from behind the arc in 2024-25.
Michigan State will have its frontcourt duo of Jaxon Kohler and Carson Cooper back in the fold, and all signs point to another jump from the high-flying junior, Coen Carr. Add in a pair of four-star recruits in Cam Ward and Jordan Scott, and suddenly, the Spartans have balance across the board, making them a clear-cut top-half team in the Big Ten entering the 2025-26 season.