Michigan State basketball lands in 'way-too-early' rankings, with potential to climb

Michigan State men's basketball welcomes a highly touted recruiting class next season, but also awaits decisions from a couple of key players who played pivotal roles on a team that reached the NCAA Tournament's Sweet Sixteen.

Despite those questions that linger regarding leading scorer Tyson Walker and forward Malik Hall, the Spartans are popular top-15 picks — and, in some cases, higher than that — in the rash of "way-too-early" rankings that inevitably follow the NCAA championship game.

Most, if not all, of those rankings come with the caveat that the transfer portal and NBA decisions likely will change the landscape before the season hits. Thus, the reason why their rankings are "way-too-early."

That undoubtedly will affect the Spartans, who behind Walker and with contributions from Hall when he was healthy, reached the Sweet 16, where they fell to Kansas State, 98-93, in an overtime thriller. The return of that duo will only push Michigan State higher up the preseason ladder.

"The Spartans have some major decisions to watch on potential super seniors, guys like Tyson Walker and Malik Hall," writes Kevin Flaherty of 247Sports, which has Michigan State at No. 12. "Bringing back both would make this ranking too low for the Spartans, who should bring back talented backcourt pair AJ Hoggard and Jaden Akins and could get plus frontcourt play from returnees like Mady Sissoko, Jaxon Kohler, Carson Cooper and five-star freshman Xavier Booker, 247Sports’ No. 10 ranked player."

Kevin Sweeney of Sports Illustrated, who has Michigan State at No. 10, writes Walker's potential return would give the Spartans "one of the best backcourts in the nation," adding incoming freshman Jeremy Fears to a mix that includes Hoggard and Akins.

ESPN's Jeff Borzello and the Athletic's Seth Davis have the Spartans at No. 6 on their preseason lists, trumpeting MSU's mix of experience and new talent arriving in East Lansing, with a recruiting class that ranks No. 3 in the nation, according to 247Sports.

"A.J. Hoggard and Jaden Akins return on the perimeter, while Tyson Walker still has another year of eligibility if he chooses to exercise the option," Borzello writes. "Tom Izzo also brings in five-star point guard Jeremy Fears, who plays with aggressiveness and toughness. Top-10 prospect Xavier Booker is a future lottery pick if he can find consistency."

Other rankings include Fox Sports slotting MSU at No. 8, and Mike DeCourcy of the Sporting News placing MSU at No. 11. DeCourcy also is a studio analyst for The Big Ten Network.

Michigan State finished the season with a 21-13 record and a 25th straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament.