18. Michigan State (3-0)
It’s usually around March when Tom Izzo gets Michigan State playing their best basketball though his Spartans are off to a pretty solid start here in November. After a ranked win over Arkansas in the opening week of the season, the Spartans are flying high and looking for another Big Ten title. This team may not jump off the page as much as some other Big Ten rivals but it has the talent to be a major factor in this league once again.
The lone outing for Michigan State last week came Thursday night, doing battle with San Jose State before coming away with a 79-60 victory. This was another night where the long-range shooting was suspect, but the Spartans dominated inside the arc. Jaxon Kohler led the charge with 17 points and 18 rebounds while Carson Cooper had 17 rebounds and 7 rebounds over their fellow Spartans.
These 3-point shooting numbers are an early concern but have still resulted in three wins, including against Arkansas. This is clearly an aspect that Izzo’s squad needs to improve on in the coming weeks, especially before conference play begins but let’s not act like it’s easy sailing until then. We’re just a few days away from the Champions Classic where Michigan State will do battle with a tough Kentucky squad.