3 Reasons Michigan State Can Win The National Championship

Basketball season is finally here. After two exhibition games to prepare for the year, Michigan State plays its first regular season game tonight against James Madison (8:30 p.m./BTN), and the buzz around Spartans basketball is at an all-time high.

Head coach Tom Izzo returns all but three players from last year’s roster, including four of five starters. On top of that, the Spartans added one of the top recruiting classes in the country with four blue-chip recruits that all have the potential to contribute immediately. The expectations for this 2023-24 team are clear — Michigan State should compete both for a Big Ten title and Izzo’s second national championship. Here are three reasons why the Spartans can make it happen…

3-Point Shooting

Forward Joey Hauser’s graduation was a big loss for the Spartans for many reasons, the biggest being he the team’s best 3-point shooter last year. However, while Michigan State is still looking for another forward who can stretch the floor, it has plenty of shooters to replace what was lost in Hauser’s scoring.

Tyson Walker and Jaden Akins have both shot over 40% from beyond the arc in their Spartan careers, making them two of the best shooters in the country. Based on what we saw in the exhibition games, A.J. Hoggard appears to have improved his 3-point game as well after shooting 33% from deep last season. Incoming freshman Xavier Booker could be MSU’s replacement for Hauser in the stretch-forward role, as he shot 3-for-4 from three in the two exhibition games. It’s a small sample size, and nobody should expect Booker to match Hauser’s 47.6% from deep last season, but it’s worth noting Booker’s strong start.

Michigan State was one of the best 3-point shooting teams in college basketball last season at 39% as a team. However, the Spartans ranked just 286th in the country (out of 352) in 3-point attempts with 18.9 per game. With Hoggard's improvement, I would expect that attempts per game average to rise. Having high volume shooters like Walker and Akins are important in the modern era of college basketball, and can take MSU a long way.

Depth and Experience

We’ve already touched on how the Spartans return four starters, but depth has been a problem for Michigan State over the past couple seasons. Whether due to injuries or not enough players ready to play at a high level, the Spartans have played with a short bench for several years, but that won’t be the case this season.

Adding four players in a star-studded recruiting class on top of the eight scholarship players returning gives Izzo a roster depth that he hasn’t enjoyed in a long time. Outside of sophomores Tre Holloman and Carson Cooper, who are expected to be major contributors this season, every other returner averaged over 10 minutes per game last season. That’s a ton of experience coming back for MSU.

From what we’ve seen in the exhibition games, freshman Coen Carr is as advertised. He’s a high-flying forward that will compete with senior Malik Hall for a starting position as the season goes on. Carr may be the most athletic player that Tom Izzo has had in his career, and that’s saying a lot. The depth in the backcourt has never been a concern, but Carr can help solve any potential depth problems MSU would have had in the frontcourt.

Prepared for March

It’s no secret Izzo likes to put together as tough of a schedule as he can get, even scheduling No. 9 Tennessee for an exhibition game this year. The Spartans will be battle-tested even before January, as they face preseason Top 25 teams Duke, Arizona and Baylor all before New Year’s Day.

The Big Ten is not as tough of a conference as it has been in past years, but winning the league will still prove difficult. While MSU is ranked preseason No. 4 in the country, Purdue is No. 3 and also returns the majority of its roster, including all five starters and the reigning National Player of the Year in 7-footer Zach Edey. Michigan State and Purdue are only scheduled to play once this season, in West Lafayette, but could very well meet again in the Big Ten Tournament.

This team also brings prior experience in March, after a run to the Sweet Sixteen a year ago. Looking at the teams who have won the national championship in recent years, they have all had consistent guard play. Teams with an elite backcourt win in the NCAA tournament, and that is what the Spartans have this season in Walker, Hoggard and Akins. Keeping everyone healthy until March will be important, but Michigan State will have a chance against any team in the country.

For more coverage of Michigan State Athletics:

• Subscribe to our YouTube channel: @SpartanNationPodcast
• Follow us on Facebook: @SpartanNation
• Follow us on Twitter: @mlounsberry_SI | @a3danm