Michigan State Basketball: Predicting starting five, bench for 2019-20 season

The 2019-20 Michigan State basketball season is off in the distance, but it’s never too early to predict the starting five and bench players.

Texas Tech ended Michigan State’s hopes and dreams slightly earlier than the Spartans were both expecting and hoping. They believed this was their year after making it to the Final Four, but the Red Raiders suffocated the Spartans in the semifinal to advance to the title game.

Now that Michigan State’s season is officially over, and you can’t really be mad at a depleted seven-deep team making the Final Four, we can look toward the future.

Michigan State loses Kenny Goins and Matt McQuaid and there are some pending NBA draft decisions from Cassius Winston and Nick Ward — I’d have my money on both guys returning, if I were a betting man.

The Spartans had a successful season but ending the way it did has to leave a sour taste in both those guys’ mouths, especially Ward. He was never truly the same player after his hand injury and was forced to come off the bench as Xavier Tillman replaced him in the starting lineup. He may not be in that same position if he returns, especially with a full offseason of work.

There may be no NBA-ready players on the roster as we speak, but it doesn’t hurt to get feedback from scouts and return. Assuming everyone who should return does, the lineup, and bench, look frightening for 2019-20.

What will the starting five look like when the 2019-20 season gets here and who plays the most off the bench?