Tom Izzo was not thrilled with his team’s effort in a 92–71 loss to Wisconsin over the weekend, and that’s sure to drop Michigan State basketball well outside the top 10.
Wisconsin, on the other hand, should be a top 25 team now.
Losing to Wisconsin is something that three of the Big Ten’s top contenders have experienced this season, and Michigan State just became the latest victim of the Badgers’ newfound spoiler role.
While Wisconsin might be sliding into the top 25 after beating Illinois in Champaign and then the Spartans by 21, Michigan State should see a drop for the second time in three weeks. They’ve lost three of four games and need to turn things around before NCAA Tournament time because they’re on a slippery slope.
This stretch does happen every year under Izzo, and the early-February lull has hurt a little more this season because it’s caused almost everyone to jump ship. Spartan fans still believe, but the experts who had been hyping Michigan State up all year have now turned their backs on the green and white.
It’s been a rough past few weeks, but here’s to hoping Izzo turns things around.
Where will Michigan State basketball be ranked on Monday afternoon?
Looking at the rankings, there’s a good chance that Michigan State could suffer a 5-6 spot drop this week after losing to the Badgers. Unfortunately, that was the only Spartan game that AP voters get to work with this week.
I see Gonzaga, Purdue, Florida, Virginia, and Texas Tech all jumping the Spartans in this week’s rankings. In that case, Michigan State would be at 15 in the new poll.
That’s where I see Michigan State.
Worst-case scenario? Michigan State falls behind St. John’s and maybe even Saint Louis, too. There’s a chance that the Spartans are 16th or 17th in the new poll after this recent loss, but I think six spots is a fair amount for a road loss against a team that will likely be in the top 25 this week.
The Spartans have to win both games this week against UCLA and Ohio State in order to gain some respect — and momentum — back. Win those and a road game against Purdue looks more manageable.