Michigan State Men’s Basketball really thrived during the Cassius Winston and Xavier Tillman era. The Spartans won three straight regular-season Big Ten Championships from 2018-2020 in what was a memorable stretch in MSU basketball history.
However, the winds of change are blowing through East Lansing. Cassius Winston and Xavier Tillman are gone, and with them went a lot of the respect that would normally be given to a team that has won three straight conference championships.
With a much different looking roster in 2020, the Spartans are being ranked much lower than they normally would in preseason previews. Over the weekend, NCAA Insider Jon Rothstein put out his Big Ten Preseason Power Rankings, and MSU was ranked down at No. 4, behind Iowa, Wisconsin, and Illinois.
You can see the full rankings on the next page.
Big Ten Preseason Power Rankings – Jon Rothstein
1. Iowa
2. Wisconsin
3. Illinois
4. Michigan State
5. Rutgers
6. Ohio State
7. Indiana
8. Michigan
9. Purdue
10. Maryland
11. Penn State
12. Minnesota
13. Nebraska
14. Northwestern
You can take a look at Michigan State’s full 2020 roster here.
