2017–18 Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team

2017–18 Michigan State Spartans men's basketball
Conference Big Ten Conference
2017–18 record 0–0 (0–0 Big Ten)
Head coach Tom Izzo (23rd season)
Associate head coach Dwayne Stephens (15th season)
Assistant coach Mike Garland (11th season)
Assistant coach Dane Fife (7th season)
Home arena Breslin Center
2017–18 Big Ten Conference men's basketball standings
Conf     Overall
Team W   L   PCT     W   L   PCT
Illinois 0 0       0 0  
Indiana 0 0       0 0  
Iowa 0 0       0 0  
Maryland 0 0       0 0  
Michigan 0 0       0 0  
Michigan State 0 0       0 0  
Minnesota 0 0       0 0  
Nebraska 0 0       0 0  
Northwestern 0 0       0 0  
Ohio State 0 0       0 0  
Penn State 0 0       0 0  
Purdue 0 0       0 0  
Rutgers 0 0       0 0  
Wisconsin 0 0       0 0  
2018 Big Ten Tournament winner
Rankings from AP Poll

The 2017–18 Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team will represent Michigan State University in the 2017–18 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Spartans, led by 23rd-year head coach Tom Izzo, will play their home games at the Breslin Center in East Lansing, Michigan as members of the Big Ten Conference.

Previous season

The Spartans finished the 2016–17 season 20–15, 10–8 in Big Ten play to finish in a tie for fifth place. In the Big Ten Tournament, they defeated Penn State[1] in the second round before losing to Minnesota in the quarterfinals.[2] They received a bid to the NCAA Tournament as a No. 9 seed in the Midwest region, their 20th consecutive appearance in the Tournament. They defeated No. 8-seeded Miami in the First Round[3] before losing to No. 1-seeded Kansas in the Second Round.[4] The 15 losses by MSU were the second most ever under Tom Izzo, behind only his 16 losses in his first season as head coach at MSU.[5]

The Spartans were led by freshmen Miles Bridges, 16.9 points and 8.3 rebounds per game, and Nick Ward, 13.9 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.

Offseason

Summary

In April, 2017, most early pollsters included Michigan State in the preseason top 25 for the 2017–18 season. These included ESPN (No. 12),[6] Sports Illustrated (No. 8),[7]  Yahoo! Sports (No. 11),[8] USA Today (No. 16),[9] NBC Sports (No. 3),[10] CBS Sports (No. 3),[11] Sporting News (No. 5)[12] and Bleacher Report (No. 12).[13] Most of the projections assumed Miles Bridges would not return to East Lansing for his sophomore season. USA Today noted that "leading scorer Miles Bridges is NBA-bound."[9] The Sporting News summarized: "Bridges hasn’t announced his decision yet, but Spartans fans aren’t holding their breath (he’s expected to be a lottery pick)."[12]

On April 13, 2017, Miles Bridges, considered an NBA lottery pick, announced he would not enter the NBA Draft and would return to MSU as a sophomore.[14] His return led many to project MSU as a Final Four contender for the 2017–18 season.[15][16][17] Losing only seniors Eron Harris and Alvin Ellis III, the Spartans will return eight of their top 10 players from the prior season.[17][18] Bridges was also considered a potential candidate for National Player of the Year upon the announcement of his return to Michigan State.[11] The Spartans will return 78% of their scoring and 81% of their rebounding from the previous year.[19]

On May 8, redshirt graduate student Ben Carter was granted a sixth year of eligibility after the NCAA granted his medical hardship waiver.[20] The Spartans have one remaining open scholarship for the 2017–18 season.[21]

On May 11, 6-foot-11, 220-pound center Braden Burke announced he would transfer to Michigan State from Robert Morris and be a preferred walk-on.[22] Burke will have to sit out the 2017–18 season due to NCAA transfer rules.[22]

Following the deadline to withdraw from the NBA Draft, many media outlets released updated early top 25 rankings for the 2017–18 season.[23] MSU was a consensus top three team by every major outlet: NBC Sports (No. 1),[24] Fox Sports (No. 2), Sporting News (No. 2),[25] ESPN (No. 3),[26] CBS Sports (No. 3),[27] and Yahoo! Sports (No. 3).[28]

Departures

Name Number Pos. Height Weight Year Hometown Notes
Alvin Ellis III 3 G 6'4" 210 Senior Chicago, IL Graduated
Eron Harris 14 G 6'3" 190 RS Senior Indianapolis, IN Graduated

Recruiting classes

2017 recruiting class

On September 15, 2016, five-star forward Jaren Jackson Jr. announced that he will attend Michigan State.[29] He is the son of former NBA player Jaren Jackson Sr.[30] Jackson was listed as the eighth best player in the 2017 final rankings by ESPN.[31] On September 30, 2016, four-star power forward Xavier Tillman committed to MSU.[32] He was considered the best player in the state of Michigan in the 2017 class.[33] Tillman was ranked No. 71 in the 2017 final rankings by ESPN.[31] Tillman and Jackson signed National Letters of Intent on November 9, 2016.[34] With just these two signings, MSU's class was listed as the 14th best in the country by ESPN[35] and 17th by rivals.com.[36]

MSU had an offer to five-star wing Brian Bowen, but Bowen chose to attend Louisville.[37][38][39] MSU offered four-star point guard Mark Smith a scholarship as well, but he chose to attend Illinois.[40][41][42] MSU made a scholarship offer to five-star center Brandon McCoy but he chose to attend UNLV.[43][44][45]

Jack Hoiberg, son of Chicago Bulls head coach, Fred Hoiberg, announced he would attend Michigan State as a preferred walk-on.[46]

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Jaren Jackson Jr.
No. 2 PF
Indianapolis, IN La Lumiere School 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 225 lb (102 kg) Sep 15, 2016 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:5/5 stars   Rivals:5/5 stars   247Sports:5/5 stars    ESPN grade: 95
Xavier Tillman
No. 11 PF
Grand Rapids, MI Grand Rapids Christian High School 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 250 lb (110 kg) Sep 30, 2016 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN grade: 84
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 17   Rivals: 18  ESPN: 15
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

2018 recruiting class

On April 5, 2016, four-star power forward Thomas Kithier announced he will attend Michigan State.[47][48] On November 22, 2016, four-star point guard Foster Loyer committed to MSU.[49] He is the son of NBA assistant coach John Loyer.[50] After receiving an offer three days prior, four-star small forward Gabe Brown announced on June 20, 2017 that he will play for the Spartans in 2018.[51] On June 30, 2017, four-star power forward Marcus Bingham Jr. announced he would play for MSU in 2018.[52]

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Marcus Bingham
PF
Grand Rapids, MI Catholic Central High School 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 200 lb (91 kg) Jun 30, 2017 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN grade: 83
Gabe Brown
SF
Belleville, MI Belleville High School 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 200 lb (91 kg) Jun 20, 2017 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN grade: 84
Thomas Kithier
PF
Macomb, MI Dakota High School 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 225 lb (102 kg) Nov 22, 2016 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN grade: 81
Foster Loyer
PG
Clarkston, MI Clarkston High School 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 157 lb (71 kg) Nov 22, 2016 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN grade: 85
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: NR   Rivals: NR  ESPN: NR
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

Roster

2017–18 Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team
Players Coaches
Pos. # Name Height Weight Year Previous school Hometown
G 0 Ahrens, KyleKyle Ahrens 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Jr Versailles H.S. Versailles, OH
F 22 Bridges, MilesMiles Bridges 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 230 lb (104 kg) So Huntington Prep Flint, MI
C -- Burke, BradenBraden Burke (W)  6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 220 lb (100 kg) So Stevensville H.S./Robert Morris Stevensville, MI
F 13 Carter, BenBen Carter 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 225 lb (102 kg) GS Bishop Gorman/Oregon/UNLV Las Vegas, NV
G 41 George, ConnorConnor George (W) 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 200 lb (91 kg) RS Fr Okemos H.S. Okemos, MI
F 25 Goins, KennyKenny Goins 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 230 lb (104 kg) RS Jr Warren Mott H.S. Troy, MI
G -- Hoiberg, JackJack Hoiberg (W) 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Fr Hinsdale Central H.S. Hinsdale, IL
F -- Jackson Jr., JarenJaren Jackson Jr. 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 225 lb (102 kg) Fr La Lumiere School Indianapolis, IN
G 1 Langford, JoshuaJoshua Langford 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 210 lb (95 kg) So Madison Academy Madison, AL
F 20 McQuaid, MattMatt McQuaid 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 200 lb (91 kg) Jr Duncanville H.S. Duncanville, TX
G 11 Nairn, Jr., LourawlsLourawls Nairn, Jr. 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) 175 lb (79 kg) Sr Sunrise Christian Academy Nassau, Bahamas
F 35 Nsengiyumva, DavidDavid Nsengiyumva (W) 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 205 lb (93 kg) RS So Hillsborough Baptist School Kigali, Rwanda
G 40 Roy, GregGreg Roy (W) 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Sr North Crowley/Adrian College Fort Worth, TX
F 34 Schilling, GavinGavin Schilling 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 240 lb (109 kg) RS Sr Findlay Prep Chicago, IL
F -- Tillman, XavierXavier Tillman 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 250 lb (113 kg) Fr Grand Rapids Christian H.S. Grand Rapids, MI
C 44 Ward, NickNick Ward 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 250 lb (113 kg) So Gahanna Lincoln Gahanna, OH
G -- Washington, BrockBrock Washington (W) 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 175 lb (79 kg) Fr Southfield Christian School Detroit, MI
G 5 Winston, CassiusCassius Winston 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 185 lb (84 kg) So University of Detroit Jesuit Detroit, MI
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • (W) Walk-on

Schedule and results

The 2018 Big Ten Tournament will be held at Madison Square Garden in New York.[53] Due to the Big East's use of that venue for their conference tournament, the Big Ten Tournament will take place one week earlier than usual, ending the week before Selection Sunday.[54] This could result in teams having nearly two weeks off before the NCAA Tournament.[55] As a result, it is anticipated that the Big Ten regular season will begin in mid-December.[53] Tom Izzo stated that the team's first Big Ten game would likely be on December 1, 2017 with a second game on December 4, 2017.[56] Coaches have requested that no Big Ten game be scheduled between Christmas and New Year's Day, accordingly each team will play two conference games in early December before finishing non-conference play.[56]

A previously-scheduled road game against Florida was moved to the 2018–19 season due to scheduling conflicts.[57]

Date
time, TV
Rank# Opponent# Result Record High points High rebounds High assists Site (attendance)
city, state
Exhibition

TBA 2017*
TBA   
                Breslin Center 
East Lansing, MI
Regular season

Nov 14, 2017*
 ESPN
vs. Duke
Champions Classic
  
                United Center 
Chicago, IL

Nov 23, 2017*
vs. DePaul
PK80–Phil Knight Invitational Victory Bracket
  
                Moda Center 
Portland, OR

Nov 24, 2017*
vs. Connecticut or Oregon
PK80–Phil Knight Invitational
  
                Veterans Memorial Coliseum 
Portland, OR

Nov 26, 2017*
vs. North Carolina, Oklahoma, Arkansas, or Portland
PK80–Phil Knight Invitational
  
                Moda Center or Veterans Memorial Coliseum 
Portland, OR

Nov 30, 2017*
Notre Dame
Big Ten-ACC Challenge
  
                Breslin Center 
East Lansing, MI

Dec 9, 2017*
Southern Utah   
                Breslin Center 
East Lansing, MI

Dec 16, 2017*
vs. Oakland   
                Little Caesars Arena 
Detroit, MI

Dec 21, 2017*
Long Beach State   
                Breslin Center 
East Lansing, MI


Illinois   
                Breslin Center 
East Lansing, MI


at Illinois   
                State Farm Center 
Champaign, IL


Indiana   
                Breslin Center 
East Lansing, MI


at Indiana   
                Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall 
Bloomington, IN


at Iowa   
                Carver-Hawkeye Arena 
Iowa City, IA


Michigan
Rivalry
  
                Breslin Center 
East Lansing, MI


Maryland   
                Breslin Center 
East Lansing, MI


at Maryland   
                Xfinity Center 
College Park, MD


at Minnesota   
                Williams Arena 
Minneapolis, MN


Nebraska   
                Breslin Center 
East Lansing, MI


at Northwestern   
                Allstate Arena 
Rosemont, IL


Penn State   
                Breslin Center 
East Lansing, MI


at Ohio State   
                Value City Arena 
Columbus, OH


Purdue   
                Breslin Center 
East Lansing, MI


Rutgers   
                Breslin Center 
East Lansing, MI


at Rutgers   
                Louis Brown Athletic Center 
Piscataway, NJ


Wisconsin   
                Breslin Center 
East Lansing, MI


at Wisconsin   
                Kohl Center 
Madison, WI
Big Ten Tournament

Feb 28 – Mar 4, 2018
vs.    
                Madison Square Garden 
New York, NY
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
All times are in Eastern Time.

Rankings

Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking. ██ Decrease in ranking.
NR = Not ranked. RV = Received votes. ( ) = First place votes.
Week
Poll Pre 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Final 
AP Not released 
Coaches

*AP does not release post-NCAA tournament rankings


References

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  2. "MSU vexed by poor showing in Big Ten tournament, now wait for NCAAs". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved 2017-03-13.
  3. "MSU shakes off bad start, blows away Miami in NCAA tournament, 78-58". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved 2017-03-20.
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  48. "Macomb's Thomas Kithier commits to Michigan State, becomes Spartans' first 2018 pledge". MLive.com. Retrieved 2016-12-30.
  49. "Clarkston guard Foster Loyer commits to Michigan State basketball". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved 2016-12-30.
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