Welcome to The Sports Bank’s fourth annual college basketball season preview series where we break 111 teams in the 111 days leading up to the opening tip-off of the 2013-2014 season. We will rank the 84 power conference teams (including the new Big East and American Athletic Conferences) and top 27 mid-majors in reverse power ranking order. We’ll break down rosters, transfers, incoming freshmen, non-conference schedules, and pick a player to watch for each team.
With only one player gone from a year ago, it is easy to see why the Michigan State Spartans are one of the top ranked teams heading into this season. If everything goes as expected, Tom Izzo should earn his seventh Final Four appearance with a shot at winning it all.
MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS
Last Season: T-2nd, 13-5 in Big Ten, 27-9 overall
Predicted Big Ten Finish: 1st
Projected Depth Chart
F/C: Matt Costello (So)/Alex Gauna (Jr)
PF: Adreian Payne (Sr)/Gavin Schilling (Fr)/Kanny Kaminski (Fr)
SF: Branden Dawson (Jr)/Russell Byrd (Jr)
SG: Gary Harris (So)/Denzel Valentine (So)/Alvin Ellis (Fr)
PG: Keith Appling (Sr)/Travis Trice (Jr)
Gone: C-Derrick Nix, G/F-Brandan Kearney (transfer-Arizona State)
2013-2014 Outlook:
“I do think we’ve got a good team,” Izzo admitted at Big Ten Media Day. “I think we’ve got a veteran team. I think we’ve added some pieces. We’ve got some guys back healthy. You put all those things together, I think it gives you a shot.”
It also gives you a shot when you bring back your talented starting backcourt which Sparty does in Keith Appling and Gary Harris. Appling isn’t a true distributing point guard and tends to play sloppy at times but his experience and scoring ability make him a key component to the team.
The Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year, Harris battled injury throughout most of last season and was never truly 100% but still had a very productive freshman campaign. Now that he is healthy, his explosiveness and aggressiveness in attacking the hoop should be on full display along with his improved outside shooting. He’s an early favorite to be one my college basketball man crushes this season.
Izzo has quality depth at guard with Travis Trice and Denzel Valentine. Each guy can play either backcourt position with Trice being a three-point threat off the bench and Valentine’s versatility allowing him to play multiple positions.
Branden Dawson was in the same boat as Harris last season since he was recovering from a torn ACL that he suffered the previous March. Long removed from that injury, Dawson should be more productive this year while also being a valuable glue guy type player since he really is the fourth option offensively. Seldom used Russell Byrd and freshman Alvin Ellis will compete for any leftover minutes on the wing.
Up-front, Adreian Payne returns after a bit of a breakout junior year. He is an inside/outside threat who can stretch defenses with his perimeter shooting but can also use his height, length, and athleticism to get buckets in the paint and protect the rim defensively.
Several guys are competing to replace the big body of Derrick Nix inside. Matt Costello and Alex Gauna each saw spot minutes last season but are expected to get increased playing time this year with Costello likely starting at the five. Gavin Schilling is another physical, high-energy post player who adds some toughness and rebounding off the bench. Kenny Kaminski redshirted last season due to a shoulder injury, but could earn some PT as a stretch four. Izzo also has the option of sliding Dawson to the four and using a three-guard look which I would expect him to do quite frequently.
With the talent, depth, and experience across the roster, the Michigan State Spartans really don’t have a glaring weakness entering the season. With all of that in their favor, I’m sure as heck not betting against Izzo and neither should you.
Player to Watch: Gary Harris
After interviewing Harris at the Big Ten Media Day, he instantly became my favorite player in the Big Ten. Even though his freshman year was hampered by injury, he could have turned pro and likely been a lottery pick. Instead, he chose to return to East Lansing and now that he is at full go, should be one of the elite players in the country.
Key Non-Conference Games:
11/12 vs. Kentucky (Champions Classic in Chicago)
11/22 vs. Virginia Tech (Coaches vs. Cancer Classic)
11/23 vs. Oklahoma/Seton Hall (Coaches vs. Cancer Classic)
12/4 vs. North Carolina (Big Ten/ACC Challenge)
12/21 at Texas
OTHER 111 IN 111’S:
#3 Kansas
#4 Louisville
#5 Duke
#6 Syracuse
#7 Arizona
#8 Florida
#9 Oklahoma State
#10 Ohio State
#11 North Carolina
#12 Michigan
#13 Marquette
#14 Memphis
#15 Notre Dame
#16 Georgetown
#17 Gonzaga
#18 Creighton
#19 Wisconsin
#20 Virginia
#21 Wichita State
#22 VCU
#23 New Mexico
#24 UConn
#25 Indiana
#26 Colorado
#27 Tennessee
#28 Baylor
#29 St. John’s
#30 Harvard
#31 UCLA
#32 Iowa
#33 Boise State
#34 Villanova
#35 Oregon
#36 St. Louis
#37 La Salle
#38 San Diego State
#39 Stanford
#40 Arizona State
#41 BYU
#42 Pitt
#43 California
#44 Iowa State
#45 Providence
#46 Cincinnati
#47 UNLV
#48 Purdue
#49 LSU
#50 Illinois
#51 Xavier
#52 Boston College
#53 Ole Miss
#54 Missouri
#55 Washington
#56 Saint Mary’s
#57 Maryland
#58 Butler
#59 Minnesota
#60 Florida Gulf Coast
#61 Akron
#62 Temple
#63 Alabama
#64 Florida State
#65 Arkansas
#66 N.C. State
#67 Kansas State
#68 Davidson
#69 Dayton
#70 Miami FL
#71 SMU
#72 Texas A&M
#73 Long Beach State
#74 UMass
#75 Northwestern
#76 Indiana State
#77 Georgia Tech
#78 Oklahoma
#79 Richmond
#80 Manhattan
#81 Belmont
#82 Texas
#83 Houston
#84 Washington State
#85 Iona
#86 Oregon State
#87 Louisiana Tech
#88 Towson
#89 Wake Forest
#90 Central Florida
#91 Rutgers
#92 Drexel
#93 USC
#94 Charleston
#95 Seton Hall
#96 Vanderbilt
#97 George Mason
#98 Clemson
#99 Penn State
#100 Nebraska
#101 West Virginia
#102 South Florida
#103 Mississippi State
#104 DePaul
#105 South Carolina
#106 Texas Tech
#107 TCU
#108 Virginia Tech
#109 Georgia
#110 Utah
#111 Auburn
David Kay is a senior feature NBA Draft, NBA, and college basketball writer for the Sports Bank. He also heads up the NBA and college basketball material at Walter Football.com and is a former contributor at The Washington Times Communities. David has appeared on numerous national radio programs spanning from Cleveland to New Orleans to Honolulu to Milwaukee. He also had the most accurate 2011 NBA Mock Draft and the most accurate 2012 NBA Mock Draft on the internet , AND the second most accurate 2013 NBA Mock Draft. (Yup, nearly 3peat champ… #humblebrag.)
You can follow him on Twitter at David_Kmiecik.