1. Top-three finish in the Big Ten
Is this crazy to think? Michigan State loses Miles Bridges, Jaren Jackson Jr., Tum Tum Nairn, Ben Carter, Gavin Schilling and potentially Nick Ward and I believe the Spartans will still finish in the top-three in the Big Ten title race?
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It’s not crazy at all. The roster is still loaded with talent and just because Michigan State fans were spoiled with two lottery picks in 2017-18 doesn’t mean that the Spartans can’t win without that type of NBA talent oozing from their pores.
Cassius Winston returns as arguably the best point guard in the conference, at least offensively. Josh Langford is back and with more consistency he could be a star. Xavier Tillman is ready for an increased role. Matt McQuaid could finally develop into a 3-point specialist. Kyle Ahrens will finally be healthy. Kenny Goins will be there for depth. Add in a strong five-player class and the Spartans have a deep team.
Don’t sleep on Michigan State just because the lottery talent is gone. The Spartans have plenty of options returning and a potentially guard-oriented team which could force Tom Izzo to adapt to today’s game.
Next: MSU Basketball: Final player grades for 2017-18 season
Michigan State will finish top-three in the conference and potentially earn another top-three seed in the NCAA Tournament.