Michigan State has high hopes entering the 2026-27 college basketball season and rightfully so.
The Spartans were picked to finish second in the Big Ten this season in a poll conducted by The Columbus Dispatch. Since the conference does not release a preseason ranking, 28 media members throughout the Big Ten put together votes to come up with a list.
Michigan State was picked behind only Illinois and received nine first-place votes.
The full poll results are as followed:
- Illinois, 498 (18)
- Michigan State, 483 (9)
- Michigan, 436 (1)
- UCLA, 375
- Nebraska, 369
- Purdue, 347
- USC, 340
- Ohio State, 324
- Indiana, 292
- Iowa, 264
- Wisconsin, 240
- Maryland, 203
- Minnesota, 168
- Oregon, 147
- Washington, 116
- Northwestern, 88
- Rutgers, 68
- Penn State, 35
The Spartans have the luxury of Jeremy Fears Jr. returning this season. The guard was named the Preseason Player of the Year in a landslide. He was also the only unanimous selection on the First Team All-Big Ten, joining Michigan’s Elliot Cadeau and Trey McKenney, Nebraska’s Pryce Sandfort and Illinois’ David Mirkovic.
Fears Jr. averaged 15.2 points per game last season and led the nation with 9.4 assists as well. He was named an All-American during his redshirt sophomore year. Fears Jr. received 23 of a potential 28 votes for this honor.
Fears Jr. is joined by Coen Carr, who returns after starting last season. He averaged 12 points and 5.4 rebounds per game while using his incredible athleticism on both ends of the floor. Cam Ward and Jordan Scott are rising sophomores while Tom Izzo brought in Anton Bonke in the transfer portal. The big man averaged 10.6 points and 8.3 rebounds per game at Charlotte. At 7-foot-2, Bonke adds needed size in the paint.
Spartan fans, does Izzo have the next Final Four team coming out of East Lansing?
Don’t forget to vote on this weekend’s football game against Illinois.