The 2022-23 college basketball season is approaching tournament time. Teams across the country are at the center of the conference schedule, trying to light the fire at the right time.
Right in the middle is Michigan, which is currently No. 4 in the Big Ten rankings. Most years, his fourth-best team in the Big Ten easily ranks among the top 25 nationally. But not this year. Ranked #1, Purdue is currently the only ranked team in the conference. Meanwhile, multiple teams from smaller conferences make the rankings, including the University of Charleston, FAU, St. He’s Mary’s, and New He’s Mexico.
So where are Michigan now in the national rankings, and where will they be seeded in the NCAA Tournament?
First of all, the intensity of the Spartan schedule slowly wore off. Victories over Kentucky, Villanova, Oregon, and Wisconsin aren’t nearly as impressive as they were back then. Kentucky may still be Michigan’s best win, with the Wildcats unranked with his 14-6 record. With his 10-10 record, Villanova doesn’t even make it to the NIT. Oregon missed his NCAA Tournament, and Wisconsin, where he was 18th when the Spartans won, could now bubble his team.
Michigan State has not been ranked since Week 4 of the season. That was the week of November 28, before losing streaks to Notre Dame and Northwestern. It’s received votes every week since then, but losing three of its last five games has prevented the Spartans from returning to the top 25.
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On Jan. 27, ESPN’s Joe Lunardi released the latest update to the NCAA Tournament Bracketology, predicting the entire 68-team field. After their recent win over Iowa, Michigan State is projected as the No. 6 seed in the Western Region in their first-round matchup against 11-seeded Charleston. The only Big Ten teams seeded higher than MSU were No. 1 Purdue and No. 5 Rutgers overall. Meanwhile, Illinois and Indiana were both No. 6 seeds in other regions.
Four of Michigan State’s final five games have been against the Boilermakers, Scarlet Knights, Fighting Illini and Hoosiers. The Spartans went 1-3 in that stretch, but Malik Hall had no key players, except for the Illinois game.
The Big Ten lead all conferences in Lunardi’s bracket, with nine tournament teams projected. Joining the above conference teams are 9th-seeded Iowa, 10th-seeded Maryland, 10th-seeded Northwestern and 12th-seeded Wisconsin, who are now one of Lunaldi’s “Last Four-Ins.”
Hall is back from injury and if he stays healthy, it will be the boost Michigan State needs to finish the conference season strong. Hall brought energy to both sides of the floor and played a major role in his MSU’s recent win over the Hawkeyes. The Spartans have a rematch with Purdue on Sunday and have another shot on Feb. 21 in Indiana. With Hall’s return to the lineup, Michigan has a chance to avenge earlier losses to the Boilermakers and Hoosiers.
If the Spartans beat Purdue on Sunday, they could move back into the top 25 of the rankings and increase their current seeding in the NCAA Tournament. However, with seven losses, it will be difficult for MSU to make a big jump in seeding. Many teams ahead of them need to lose to move up significantly.
That being said, Michigan is in control of its own destiny as the hardest part of its schedule has already fallen behind. The most important thing for Sparta right now is to keep everyone healthy in his final ten games. In doing so, MSU can safely enter the field of the NCAA Tournament.
