Rob Dauster of NBC Sports released his latest way-too-early rankings for the 2020-21 college basketball season this morning. Michigan State basketball ranks No. 5 in this iteration of NBC Sports’ college basketball preseason Top 25. The only other teams ahead of the Spartans are Villanova, Gonzaga, Baylor, and Virginia, in that order.
Here is what Rob Dauster writes of the 2020 Michigan State men’s basketball team:
“Rocket Watts showed down the stretch of last season that he was ready to take over the reins offensively, and with Joey Hauser getting eligible, he should have a second scoring threat on the floor with him. That will allow Aaron Henry to play his jack-of-all-trades role, and with Gabe Brown, Malik Hall and Marcus Bingham all, in theory, taking a step forward, there’s plenty of weaponry. The key, however, is going to be Xavier Tillman. I think he’s a first-round pick, and considering that he’s a married man with two kids already, he certainly could use the income. He’s the piece that brings it all together.”
Note, Dauster projects Michigan State’s starters to include Rocket Watts, Gabe Brown, Aaron Henry, Joey Hauser, and Xavier Tillman. MSU’s ranking will likely change if Tillman and/or Henry are picked in the NBA Draft.
