Michigan State Basketball: Updates on 2023-24 schedule completion

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02 August 2023

Michigan State Basketball: Updates on 2023-24 schedule completion

The Michigan State Spartans will begin the 2023-24 regular season on November 6th They have scheduled teams from the Big 12, ACC, Big East, Sun Belt, and Pac-12 conferences in their upcoming non-conference play. In Big Ten conference play, Michigan State will have to contend with Purdue primarily for the regular season conference title.

Michigan State returns numerous players from last year’s team that have experience, talent, and leadership skills. The team will be led by arguably the deepest group of guards in the country starting with Tyson Walker, A.J. Hoggard, and Jaden Akins. The Spartans have experienced big men returning in Mady Sissoko and Malki Hall as well as a developing center in Carson Cooper and offensive skilled power forward Jaxon Kohler.

Michigan State along with their veteran upperclassmen have brought in four talented freshmen starting with highly rated recruits Xavier Booker and Jeremy Fears as well as rising star and high flyer Coen Carr and lastly Gehrig Normand who gives the Spartans tremendous depth. These four freshmen who were ranked the No. 5 ranked recruiting class according to 247 Sports add athletism, depth at the wing positions, and will most importantly make the practices even that much more competitive.

The Spartans with little doubt are a team more than capable of making a run to the Final Four and even possibly winning a national title. However, in order to be an outstanding team that reaches the Final Four in the NCAA Tournament at the end of the season, they must stay healthy and focused throughout the season. The number one reason for this strong optimistic forecast is that they have a very balanced roster with depth at every position with a tremendous amount of talent, especially at the guard positions from a team that reached the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament last season and brought eight scholarship players back from that team.

Michigan State will be challenged often and early this season but their depth this season will help them greatly with these tough non-conference games. Along with having an ambitious non-conference schedule, the Spartans have a competitive Big Ten set of games for this upcoming season. If they can avoid any serious injuries to their key players and play together and keep players happy with playing time, they can dethrone Purdue for the Big Ten regular season title and even capture a national championship in 2024.

Michigan State Basketball is scheduling difficult and challenging opponents for their non-conference schedule for the upcoming season and the Spartans still have time to add two or more teams to their nonconference schedule.

Let’s now take a look at what we know thus far about the Spartans 2023-24 schedule.

Here is a look at the first few games of the Spartan’s non-conference schedule.

Last meeting between both schools: The game will be the first-ever meeting between the two schools on the basketball court

James Madison Last Season: The Duke’s overall record was an impressive 22-11 and they finished in fourth play with a 12-6 record in Sun Belt conference play.

Interesting Fact: One of James Madison’s assistant coaches is a person by the name of Matt Bucklin. He is the nephew of Tom Izzo.

Prediction: Michigan State 81 James Madison 64

Michigan State plays Duke in what looks to be a top-five match-up against two “blue blood” programs at the United Center in Chicago in the Champions Classic.

Last five games played between these two schools: Duke has been victorious in three out of the last five games they have played against the Spartans.

Current Win Streak: The Blue Devils have won the last game between these two schools, having a one-game winning streak between these two programs.

The last meeting between both schools: Duke defeated Michigan State on a neutral court in the NCAA Tournament by a final score of 85-76 back in March of 2022.

Prediction: Michigan State with their veteran guards defeats Duke in overtime by a final score of 95-93. The Spartan’s veteran leadership and experience get them the close win against the Blue Devils in this premier non-conference game.

Michigan State hosts Butler in the annual Gavitt Tipoff Games.

Two games have been played between these two schools in recent years: Both teams have each won a game against one another. Michigan State won the most recent one in 2021 and Butler defeated the Spartans in the 2010 NCAA Tournament.

Current Win Streak: The Spartans have won the last game between these two schools, having a one-game winning streak in this series between these two programs.

The last meeting between both schools: Michigan State defeated Butler on the road by a final score of 73-52 in 2021,

Prediction: Michigan State beats Butler by a final score of 74-61.

We will look at the next set of games of the Spartan’s non-conference schedule for late November.

Michigan State will host Alcorn State as part of the Acrisure Invitational.

Alcorn State at Michigan State

Date: Sunday, Nov 19

Location: Breslin Center, East Lansing, MI

TV/Streaming: TBD

Alcorn State Last Season: They were co-SWAC regular season with Grambling and earned the No. 1 seed in their conference tournament having defeated Grambling in the regular season. They earned an NIT bid and lost to North Texas in the tournament.

Current Win Streak: The Spartans have won the only game between these two schools, having a one-game winning streak in this series.

Last meeting between both schools: In 2008, Michigan State on their home court defeated the Braves by a final score of 118-60.

Prediction: Michigan State 91 Alcorn State 71

Last five games played between these two schools: Arizona has won three out of the last five games against Michigan State.

Current Win Streak: The Wildcats have won the last game between these two schools, having a one-game winning streak between these two programs.

The last meeting between both schools: Arizona defeated Michigan State on a neutral court in the Armed Forces Classic by a final score of 65-63 back in November of 2016.

Prediction: Michigan State beats Arizona in a closely contested game by the final score of 82-79.

More non-conference games for the month of December will be announced but there are two teams that the Spartans will play in the money of December.

Michigan State vs Oakland

Before the 2019-20 season, both athletic programs agreed to a six-year deal to extend the long-term standing series between the Spartans and Golden Grizzlies.

The series has and was supposed to alternate yearly between Little Caesars Arena in downtown Detroit and the Breslin Center in East Lansing but with Michigan State playing Baylor at the LCA, it is possible that the Golden Grizzlies play in East Lansing again like last season.

Unfortunately for Oakland University, the basketball series between them and Michigan State has been a one-sided affair. The Spartans have won all 21 games between the two schools, going back to 1998.

Despite the lopsided record, the games between Oakland University and Michigan State are for the most part, competitive especially when the games are not being played in East Lansing at the Breslin Center. The Golden Grizzlies have played well against the Spartans throughout the years, losing by only six points in overtime in 2015, four points in 2013, and only one point in 2010.

In total, 21 games have been played between these two schools since 1998: Michigan State has won all of its games against Oakland.

Current Win Streak: The Spartans have won the last 21 games between these two schools, having a twenty-one-game winning streak in this series between these two programs.

The last meeting between both schools: Michigan State defeated Oakland on their home court by a final score of 67-54.

Prediction: Michigan State wins this game by a final score of 92-81.

Last two games played between these two schools: Bayor has won the two games they have played against Michigan State.

Current Win Streak: The Bears have won the last two games between these two schools, having a two-game winning streak between these two programs.

The last meeting between both schools: Baylor defeated Michigan State on a neutral court in the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament by a final score of 75-58 in November of 2021.

Prediction: Michigan State defeats Baylor by the final score of 74-68.

Big Ten opponents for the upcoming season.

Michigan State has done well in the Big Ten conference especially since Tom Izzo became the head coach and they have won the Big Ten regular season championship 10 times since 1998, with the most recent championship taking place in 2020. The Spartans have also won the Big Ten Tournament six times, most recently in 2019.

The dates and times of Michigan State’s Big Ten opponents have not been released yet but they will more than likely play two conference games in December before getting into the majority of Big Ten games in the month of January.

The most disappointing part is that the Spartans will not be playing Purdue and Indiana at the Breslin Center this upcoming season. The Boilermakers are expected to compete with Michigan State for the Big Ten title and not playing them at home, is not great for the Spartans in their pursuit of winning the conference regular season title.

The part for Michigan State fans that they will enjoy the most about the Big Ten schedule is being able to play historical and new rivals like Wisconsin, Illinois, and Michigan home and away. It is also beneficial for the Spartans to play schools like Minnesota, Northwestern, and Penn State home and away as well. Not having to go on the road to play Rutgers and Iowa is favorable for the Spartans as Michigan State has not done well overall playing on the road against the Scarlet Knights and Hawkeyes.

Home Only: Iowa, Ohio State, and Rutgers

Away Only: Indiana, Nebraska, and Purdue

Home and Away: Maryland, Minnesota, Northwestern, Michigan, Illinois, Penn State and Wisconsin

There are 11 non-conference games for Big Ten teams as each team plays 20 scheduled games in conference play. This means that the Spartans still have four non-conference games to schedule.