Could Michigan State basketball be ranked again soon?

After starting the season ranked in the top five and falling to 4-5, Michigan State basketball is finally flirting with the AP Top 25 again.

It’s been quite some time since Michigan State basketball was last ranked. The Spartans opened the season as the No. 4 team in the country but dropped out of the AP Top 25 quickly after losses to James Madison, Duke, and Arizona.

Week 3 was the last time the Spartans were in the AP Top 25, but could that be changing soon?

Michigan State nearly ranked in this week’s AP Poll

As you all know, the AP Poll consists of the top 25 teams in the country. They also show teams that received votes from some voters but didn’t get enough to crack the top 25. That is where MSU has spent most of this season, and that is where they currently find themselves. However, they are very close to entering the top 25.

The latest AP Poll was came out on Monday, and Michigan State is the No. 29 team in the country. So the Spartans would only need a few teams in front of them to lose to move into the top 25.

Michigan State has been one of the hottest teams in the country recently. They’ve won eight of their last 10 games, including a current three-game winning streak after their 73-63 win over Michigan. So it’s no surprise to see MSU flirting with a top 25 appearance. If the Spartans have just one more good week, that could see themselves enter the top 25 once again.

What must MSU do to make the top 25?

Michigan State plays Iowa at home on Tuesday followed by another home game on Sunday against Ohio State. Those are two games MSU will be big favorites in and games they should win. The Spartans will need to win both if they want a chance to be ranked next week, but I don’t think it’s insane to suggest Michigan State will do that. In fact, I think it’s more than likely they do.

Michigan State will also need some help elsewhere if they want to be in the top 25 next week. If every team directly in front of them in the rankings win then MSU likely won’t move up past them. So teams like Florida, BYU, Virginia, Gonzaga, and Wisconsin who are all a few spots ahead need to lose to help the Spartans out.

At the end of the day, the AP rankings don’t mean that much. But it would be nice to see Michigan State basketball ranked once again. Especially with a date at Purdue on the horizon, I want as much juice, hype, and as many eyeballs on that game as possible.