Michigan State basketball: 5 bold predictions for January 2023

EAST LANSING, MI - DECEMBER 30: A.J. Hoggard #11 of the Michigan State Spartans and the Michigan State Spartans bench celebrate during the second half against the Buffalo Bulls at Breslin Center on December 30, 2022 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images) /

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EAST LANSING, MI – DECEMBER 30: Malik Hall #25 of the Michigan State Spartans celebrates during the second half against the Buffalo Bulls at Breslin Center on December 30, 2022 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images) /

3. MSU gets back into the rankings

It’s going to take a really strong start to the month for this one to happen, but I think the Spartans will do just that. This is one of the toughest nine-game stretches in January that Tom Izzo has had as head coach, but he’s maneuvered it to perfection before.

I think the Spartans win their first three games of January and then five of their first six, including a huge win over Purdue at home to really cement themselves as contenders.

That 5-1 record to start the month will put Michigan State at 14-5 overall and back into the AP Top 25 for the first time since early December. The Spartans haven’t sniffed the rankings since they lost back-to-back games to Notre Dame and Northwestern which, looking back, were both bad losses and if they never happened, we may be looking at a top-10 team.

Izzo will have his guys playing well to start Big Ten play back up with Malik Hall back and the Spartans will climb into the Top 25 again for the first time in nearly two months.

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