Michigan State Basketball: Projected starting lineup for 2020-21 season

We are a week away from the start of the 2020-21 Michigan State basketball season and here’s what the Spartans’ starting five may look like.

Michigan State is less than a week away — fingers crossed there are no setbacks — from the start of its 2020-21 season. The Spartans open the new season with a matchup against Eastern Michigan on Nov. 25, about three weeks later than the usual start thanks to the pandemic that has swept the globe.

Tom Izzo recently tested positive for the virus and has quarantined for a couple of weeks and should be good to go for the opener.

Luckily, most of the team has been in its own little bubble, of sorts, seeing only each other and being restricted with no students on campus and remote classes. It’s been an interesting offseason but the Spartans are still looking poised to defend their crown in the Big Ten for a third straight season.

Gone are Cassius Winston and Xavier Tillman who were both drafted on Wednesday night. Cassius went late in the second round to the Washington Wizards and Tillman was picked earlier in the second round by the Grizzlies, rejoining fellow 2017 class member Jaren Jackson Jr. in Memphis.

While those are two big losses, Michigan State returns plenty of talent, headlined by Rocket Watts, Aaron Henry, Josh Langford and Joey Hauser. Also, guys like Marcus Bingham Jr., Mady Sissoko, Gabe Brown, Foster Loyer, AJ Hoggard, Malik Hall, Julius Marble and Thomas Kithier should have solid roles in 2020-21.

But with so much movement on the roster, what could the official starting five look like to open the season?