Newcomer Impact Rankings: Which freshmen, transfers will determine team fortunes?
Several college basketball programs' fortunes will rise or fall on the play of new faces in 2020-21. Here are the players most under the microscope.
2020 ScheduleAll times ET
2020 Schedule
1st in Big Ten
- 11/52L 69-62
- 11/10W 100-47
- 11/1412W 76-73
- 11/18W 94-46
- 11/25L 71-66
- 11/26W 93-85
- 11/27W 75-62
- 12/310L 87-75
- 12/8W 77-65
- 12/14W 72-49
- 12/18W 77-72
- 12/21W 101-48
- 12/29W 95-62
- 1/2W 76-56
- 1/512W 87-69
- 1/9W 74-58
- 1/12L 71-42
- 1/17W 67-55
- 1/23L 67-63
- 1/26W 70-52
- 1/29W 79-50
- 2/1L 64-63
- 2/422L 75-70
- 2/8L 77-68
- 2/1122W 70-69
- 2/159L 67-60
- 2/20W 86-65
- 2/2518W 78-70
- 2/299W 78-66
- 3/320W 79-71
- 3/819W 80-69
- 3/13TBDCANC
- Full Schedule
Dick Vitale's college basketball preseason top 40 for 2020-21
Dick Vitale gives his top teams for the upcoming season based on players returning and players lost, coaching and the VBDI (Vitale Bald Dome Index), which is in overdrive, baby!
Predicting where the top men's basketball prospects will land
Seven of the top 10 men's basketball prospects in the Class of 2021 are available, and their future commitments will impact the college hoops world greatly.
Bubbles, buy games and bid worries: Inside the frenzy to save college basketball's nonconference season
The NCAA cleared a path for the 2020-21 college basketball season to begin with last week's announcement. Now comes the tough part.
Courtside: Michigan State's Tom Izzo on the Clippers, keeping his players sane, COVID-19 testing and his recruiting successes this summer
Seth and Dan tip off the podcast by discussing the Nuggets’ win over the Clippers to go to the Western Conference finals and Heat-Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals, and why they think the NBA is a poorly coached league. Then, Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo joins the show to talk about the Clippers’ lack of chemistry, his players’ mental health, urging students not to go to parties, his hope that smaller schools will be able to afford testing to play to play this season, the headaches of political involvement in the science of COVID-19 and his success recruiting without in-person visits.
MSU recommends ban for ex-player Washington
Michigan State recommends that former basketball player Brock Washington be permanently barred from classes and banned from campus for two years after finding him responsible for violating the school's sexual misconduct policy.
How a summer without recruiting has left teams and prospects at a disadvantage
Amid the many challenges of the coronavirus for college programs, identifying the next wave of young talent has become a high-difficulty endeavor in a silent summer.
This Just In
ESPN 100 point guard (No. 67 overall) Jaden Akins (Farmington, Mich./Farmington) verbally committed to Michigan State on Thursday. He chose the Spartans over DePaul, Georgia Tech, Michigan, Louisville and others.
Baylor takes over No. 1 spot in Way-Too-Early Top 25
The Bears are the new No. 1 in the Way-Too-Early Top 25 for men's college basketball following the NBA draft deadline.
Courtside: Iowa HC Fran McCaffery on Luka Garza's decision to return to school
Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery joins Seth and Dan to talk about coaching both of his sons this season, Luka Garza’s decision to forego the NBA Draft and return to college, how the pre-draft process was different this year, and the outlook for his team next season (8:15). Plus, the guys discuss winners and losers following the deadline to declare for the NBA Draft.
Spartans' Tillman keeping name in NBA draft
Forward Xavier Tillman, who averaged 13.7 points, 10.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.1 blocks for Michigan State as a junior, is keeping his name in the NBA draft, ending his college career.
Michigan State's Henry withdrawing from draft
Michigan State shooting guard Aaron Henry will withdraw from the NBA draft and return to school.
Courtside: Greenberg and Dakich discuss who's had the best offseason in college basketball
Seth Greenberg and Dan Dakich tip off the podcast by discussing who’s had the best offseason between Michigan State, Baylor and Villanova. They also look at Florida, Auburn and Purdue’s offseason and talk about the transfer culture in college basketball. Later, the guys discuss the possibility of a bubble for college athletes, if they’d draft LaMelo Ball, why Seth isn’t solid on Anthony Edwards and Lou Williams’ adventure outside the NBA bubble.
Courtside: Who's staying in the NBA Draft and who's returning to college?
Seth Greenberg and Dan Dakich tip off the podcast by stating the obvious: They don’t know anything about when, how or if college basketball will be played. Then the guys run through players that are still deciding whether they’ll stay in the NBA Draft or return to college, what Michigan State will look like next year if Xavier Tillman leaves and the impact of Filip Petrusev going pro on Gonzaga. Plus, they discuss how many difference-makers are in the draft, what the G League looks like this season and Europe basketball leagues being hit hard by the pandemic.
Touted Canadian guard Mane staying in NBA draft
Canadian guard Karim Mane, considered a five-star prospect by ESPN's recruiting analysts, has elected to sign with an agent and keep his name in the 2020 NBA draft, he told ESPN on Thursday.
Newest Michigan State commit Max Christie's high school mixtape (0:41)
5-star guard Christie commits to Michigan State
Five-star guard Max Christie is committing to Michigan State.
Garza, Gonzaga highlight college basketball's biggest remaining offseason decisions
Who among Gonzaga's prized trio will return? Does Luka Garza take a shot at the draft? What transfers will be eligible next season? Jeff Borzello discusses all of these concerns and more.
Izzo: Privileged must get others to join BLM fight
Michigan State coach Tom Izzo released a statement on Monday supporting the Black Lives Matter movement and saying those with privilege need to "influence others to join and continue the fight."
Will high school phenom Emoni Bates really play at Michigan State? If so, when?
Star 16-year-old Emoni Bates committed to Michigan State on Monday. Here's when he might actually suit up for the Spartans.
Top 2022 basketball recruit Bates commits to Michigan State (0:52)
Bates, 2022 top recruit, commits to Michigan St.
Emoni Bates, who many consider the best high school basketball prospect since LeBron James, committed to Michigan State on Monday.
Ranking the top 50 individual seasons of the one-and-done era
From Zion to Jimmer to D-Rose, John Gasaway ranks the best individual seasons in men's college basketball since 2007.
Wisconsin, Michigan State on rise in Way-Too-Early Top 25
The top five teams remain the same, but there is movement in the Way-Too-Early Top 25 for men's college basketball.
Gonzaga the new No. 1 in college basketball's Way-Too-Early Top 25 for 2020-21
Gonzaga, Texas and Indiana are among the teams that climbed in the Way-Too-Early Top 25 in men's college basketball for 2020-21.
2019-20 Big Ten Standings
| TEAM | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maryland | 14-6 | - | 24-7 |
| Michigan State | 14-6 | - | 22-9 |
| Wisconsin | 14-6 | - | 21-10 |
| Illinois | 13-7 | 1 | 21-10 |
| Ohio State | 11-9 | 3 | 21-10 |
| Penn State | 11-9 | 3 | 21-10 |
| Iowa | 11-9 | 3 | 20-11 |
| Rutgers | 11-9 | 3 | 20-11 |
| Michigan | 10-10 | 4 | 19-12 |
| Indiana | 9-11 | 5 | 20-12 |
| Purdue | 9-11 | 5 | 16-15 |
| Minnesota | 8-12 | 6 | 15-16 |
| Northwestern | 3-17 | 11 | 8-23 |
| Nebraska | 2-18 | 12 | 7-25 |
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Top Performers 2019-20
- Offense
- Defense
Team Stats
Points Per Game75.962nd
Rebounds Per Game40.622nd
Assists Per Game17.77th
Points Allowed64.7
2020 Polls & Rankings
| AP | COACHES |
|---|---|
| 9 | 12 |
2021 Recruits
| NAME | POS | STATUS | GRADE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Max Christie | SG | Committed | 91 |
| Pierre Brooks | SF | Committed | 83 |
| Jaden Akins | PG | Committed | 83 |
Tournament History
| Final Fours | 9 |
| Tournament Record | 64-30 |
| Championship Seasons | 1979, 2000 |
| Tournament Appearances | 31 |