With this new AP poll coming out, new rankings will come out. As usual, many things were correct with this poll and many things were incorrect. In this article, we will be taking a look at Michigan’s State ranking and how they have exceeded expectations for this year.
To start, on Monday, March 10th the AP polls were released. The rankings are here, but Michigan State was ranked #7 with St. Johns ranked #6. St. Johns should not be ranked above Michigan State, as MSU has won 9 games in a row, with 7 of them being ranked in the top 25. Some may think that’s just by coincidence, however, all of these were wins of 5 points or more, excluding number 11 Maryland which was a win by 3 points. Comparing this to St. Johns, which is still a good team, have only won 6 games, with their last win being by two over Marquette, who is only ranked 25th. With these statistics, one can see who a better team is. Along with that, on CBS Ranks MSU is number 5, with St. Johns being 8th.
CBS also states that Michigan State is a legitimate contender for the number 1 seed going into the NCAA playoffs. CBS states, “But let’s talk about Michigan State.
Tom Izzo’s Spartans beat Michigan 79-62 on Sunday to improve to 26-5 overall, and 17-3 in the Big Ten. As a result, they secured the outright conference championship by three games and remained in contention, I think, to be a No. 1 seed in the 2025 NCAA Tournament.”
What also makes Michigan State special is the players they have and the bond between them. Leading the teams in points per game, is Jaden Akins. Currently averaging 12.9ppg, this may seem like not that much, however when you put that 9 other players are averaging 5ppg and that Michigan State is a pass-first team, that’s very good. Another player that is making a name for themselves is Tre Holloman. Initiating a scuffle on Sunday’s game against Michigan, he showed that he cares about the traditions of MSU and is willing to stand up against the players who want to stop it. This shows tenacity and leadership, as this tradition is important to the families of the seniors for the “kiss the court” tradition. Sports analysts say this about him, “Holloman, who had a career-high 20 points, has increasingly proven to be the fiery leader Izzo has looked for over the past few seasons. From the 6-foot-2, 185-pound Minneapolis native barking in the face of Purdue’s 7-4 Zach Edey at last year’s Big Ten tournament in his hometown, to getting into a verbal spat with Iowa’s Brock Harding in Thursday’s comeback at Iowa, Holloman has shown he won’t back down from a challenge.”
Wrapping up this article, Michigan State’s basketball team is full of tenacity and pride, and this team is an overall amazing team. Many critics believe that MSU should be ranked above St. Johns, however, this ranking doesn’t change the fact that this team is going to go far in March Madness.
