Where Michigan State basketball is ranked in way-too-early projections

Where does Michigan State basketball stand in everyone’s way-too-early rankings for the 2023-24 season?

The college hoops season is officially in the books and a national champion has been crowned. Michigan State basketball finished the year with a Sweet 16 berth and subsequent overtime loss to Kansas State.

It wasn’t the ideal finish to the season, but not many thought that the Spartans would make it that far.

But the future in East Lansing is bright. Not only are most of the starters from this Sweet 16 team returning in 2023-24, but Tom Izzo is bringing in the nation’s No. 3 recruiting class.

The expectations for the 2023-24 team are at an all-time high but after finishing the season on the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament, where does everyone have Michigan State ranked to start the year? Yes, it’s far too premature to even predict that but the top sites have released their way-too-early rankings for next season.

Where are the Spartans projected by each site?

• The Athletic ranked Michigan State No. 6 in their way-too-early rankings behind only Marquette, Purdue, Creighton, Miami, and FAU. And this projection was based on Malik Hall and Tyson Walker both leaving.
• ESPN also ranks MSU No. 6 in the early Top 25 rankings behind UConn, Marquette, Duke, Kentucky, and FAU. This one also has the Spartans losing Walker and Hall with Jeremy Fears as a projected starter.
• Slightly lower on the Spartans is 247Sports which said that the ranking of No. 12 is based on the fact that there’s no decision from Walker or Hall yet.
• FOX Sports has Michigan State as the No. 8 team in the nation. The Spartans are the Big Ten’s second-best team behind Purdue in this edition.
• Sports Illustrated projected Michigan State as a top-10 team as well, coming in at No. 10. They said that this will be MSU’s best team since Cassius Winston.
• Sporting News has the Spartans just outside the top 10 at No. 11 overall. Not a terrible ranking, but definitely one of the lower ones.
• Heat Check also has Michigan State at No. 10 with the assumption that all the seniors are gone and Izzo doesn’t add anyone from the portal.
• Jeff Goodman has the Spartans listed at No. 3 and is the highest on Michigan State heading into next season.
• Last but not least, USA Today has Izzo and Co. at No. 7 in the way-too-early rankings.

Where do you think Michigan State basketball should be ranked to start the 2023-24 season?