Michigan State basketball moves up 2 seed lines in latest bracketology

Following a fourth straight win since that disappointing loss to Memphis, Michigan State basketball has been earning some respect from national media members as evidenced by their No. 20 ranking in the latest AP Top 25.

This jump from unranked to begin the year to No. 20 in a month and a half of action is due to the Spartans playing some of the most complete basketball of any team in the country. They’re rebounding at a really solid rate (just out-rebounded Oakland 51-31), they’re getting out and running, and they’re starting to finally connect from long-range.

On top of that, they’re playing some really good defense, shooting free throws at an elite level, and they’re as deep as anyone in college hoops.

All that has led to this 9-2 start and if you want to compare this team to last year’s, the Spartans are better in every regard and secured their ninth win about three weeks before they did in 2023-24. They didn’t record win No. 9 last season until Jan. 4.

And last year, Michigan State snuck into the NCAA Tournament as a No. 9 seed. It felt like the fourth straight season of limping into the NCAA Tournament and fans are ready for that to change and for the team to make a run again.

This may be the year.

Joe Lunardi has been projecting the Spartans safely in the field for weeks and recently had Michigan State as a No. 7 seed a couple of weeks ago, but after a four-game winning streak, Tom Izzo’s team is up to a No. 5 seed, per the ESPN bracketologist.

According to Lunardi, he projects Michigan State as a No. 5 seed in the East Region, facing No. 12 Liberty in the first round before a potential second-round bout with two-time reigning champion UConn. Oregon (No. 3) is the only other Big Ten team projected in that region.

Sitting as a projected 5-seed with still so much growth ahead of this team has to give fans hope for the rest of the season.