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USA Today
08-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Sporting News lists MSU as one of early National Championship favorites for next season
Sporting News lists MSU as one of early National Championship favorites for next season It's super early, but Sporting News considers Michigan State as a National Championship contender next season Longtime college basketball analyst and reporter Mike DeCourcy has Michigan State as a national championship contender next season. Sporting News released their way-too-early top 25 rankings for next season on Monday, and DeCourcy has the Spartans as a top five team as we look ahead to the 2025-26 campaign. DeCourcy listed Michigan State at No. 5 in his early rankings for next year. DeCourcy has only the following teams ahead of the Spartans in his rankings: Duke (No. 1), Arkansas (No. 2), Houston (No. 3) and Florida (No. 4). From the Big Ten, DeCourcy included the following teams behind Michigan State: Purdue (No. 6), Michigan (No. 11), UCLA (No. 14) and Oregon (No. 22). Here's a bit of what DeCourcy had to say about the Spartans: "One of the benefits of such a deep rotation this past season is the Spartans still have a solid core group following a few transfer subtractions. Reserve point guard Tre Holloman would have been a great player to have around another year, but he also might have remained a backup if he'd stuck... The frontcourt is solid, at the very least. This obviously sounds incongruous, but it would help MSU for Tom Izzo to consider adding one serious impact transfer, preferably someone who can operate at a high level on the perimeter." Michigan State appears destined to return at least four guys with starting and key minutes experience in point guard Jeremy Fears Jr., forward Coen Carr, forward Jaxon Kohler and center Carson Cooper. Jase Richardson continues to be the true game-changer for the Spartans because if he returns, you could argue Michigan State should be even higher on this list. But if he leaves, I'd personally drop the Spartans a bit. It'll be interesting over the next few days to see where other college basketball analysts have the Spartans in their super early rankings. This may be the high-point for Michigan State, but it also could be the norm. We will see soon. Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan State news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Robert Bondy on X @RobertBondy5.
Fox News
15-03-2025
- Sport
- Fox News
Bubble Watch: Where things stand with 12 NCAA Tournament hopefuls
With Selection Sunday just around the corner, teams will soon learn their NCAA Tournament fate. Have they built a compelling enough case for an at-large bid? Will they need to bolster their résumé with conference tournament wins? Or do they need an automatic bid to qualify for the Big Dance? All will be decided soon enough. Heading into Friday, FOX Sports bracket forecaster Mike DeCourcy had San Diego State, Indiana, North Carolina and Texas as his last four teams to get into the tournament, while Xavier, Ohio State, Boise State and UC Irvine were DeCourcy's first four teams out. Dayton, Colorado State, George Mason and San Francisco were listed as DeCourcy's next four teams out of the NCAA Tournament. Here's how things stand with those 12 bubble teams as of Friday evening. Record: 21-9Conference Tournament result: Lost to Boise State (62-52) What it means: San Diego State is at the committee's mercy. The Aztecs and Broncos were each fighting to get off the bubble, and there's probably one spot between the two teams. The Aztecs have to hope their two regular-season wins over Boise State are more valuable than Thursday's Mountain West Tournament loss. The Aztecs also have more quality wins than the Broncos, including a 73-70 victory over No. 3 Houston on Nov. 30. If the Aztecs had beaten the Broncos, they probably would have clinched a trip to March Madness, so this result makes the committee's decision difficult. Record: 19-13Conference Tournament result: Lost to No. 23 Oregon (72-59) What it means: Indiana will be sweating it out on Selection Sunday. It could go either way for the Hoosiers, who could have potentially sewn up a spot in the tourney with a win or two in the conference tournament. Instead, they will have to wait to see how a few other bubble teams fare. Record: 21-11Conference Tournament result: Lost to No. 25 Marquette (89-87) What it means: The Musketeers had ripped off seven wins heading into the Big East Tournament, albeit none of them were Quad 1 victories. A two-point loss to a tournament-caliber team in Marquette shouldn't hurt the Musketeers much, but a win would have stamped their trip to the Big Dance. Instead, it will be a close call for Sean Miller's team on Selection Sunday. Record: 22-13Conference Tournament results: Beat Notre Dame (76-56) and Wake Forest (68-59); Lost to No. 1 Duke (74-71) What it means: UNC had a chance to strengthen its NCAA Tournament résumé against a Duke team that was without star Cooper Flagg. The Tar Heels, though, couldn't get the best of the Blue Devils in their third crack at them this season. While a win on Friday wouldn't have guaranteed a trip to the Big Dance, it would have sent UNC to the ACC Tournament title with a chance to earn an automatic bid. Instead, the Tar Heels will have to hope their wins over Wake Forest and Notre Dame earlier this week will be enough to earn an at-large bid. Record: 19-15Conference Tournament results: Beat Vanderbilt (79-72) and No. 14 Texas A&M (94-89, 2OT); Lost to No. 8 Tennessee (83-72) What it means: Texas helped its NCAA Tournament case with hard-fought wins over Vanderbilt and Texas A&M in the SEC Tournament. However, the Longhorns stumbled against Tennessee on Friday and now will have to rely on the committee to reward them with an at-large bid. Their deep run in the SEC Tournament might give them the nod over fellow bubble teams in their conference that didn't fare as well this past week, such as Oklahoma, Georgia and Vanderbilt. Record: 17-15Conference Tournament result: Lost to Iowa (77-70) What it means: The Buckeyes, who lost five of their final seven games, have a win this season over one of their fellow bubble teams (Texas). Is that, along with key victories over Purdue and Kentucky, enough for them to sneak into the tournament? Probably not. Record: 28-5Conference Tournament result: Beat Cal Poly (96-78) What it means: The Anteaters have constructed a sturdy case for an at-large bid. Unfortunately for them, their Big West rival, UC San Diego, might have a more convincing one. The two teams will meet in the Big West Championship Game on Saturday night with an automatic bid to the Big Dance on the line. Record: 22-9Conference Tournament result: Lost to Saint Joseph's (73-68) What it means: Dayton's hopes of an NCAA Tournament bid presumably came to an end on Friday following a 73-68 loss to Saint Joseph's in an A-10 quarterfinal matchup. The Flyers finished third in a mid-major conference behind VCU and George Mason. Record: 24-9Conference Tournament results: Beat San Diego State (62-52); Beat New Mexico (72-69) What it means: The Broncos' win over the Aztecs heavily boosted their case for a spot in the Big Dance as both teams are on the bubble. Boise State had won five of its last six coming into the Mountain West Tournament. The win over the Mountain West regular-season champions, New Mexico, should help the Broncos, but if they want to ensure a spot in March Madness, they'll probably have to win the conference tournament. Record: 24-9Conference Tournament results: Beat Nevada (67-59); Beat Utah State (83-72) What it means: Winners of their final seven regular-season games, the Rams are one of the hottest teams in the nation. They put themselves in a hole earlier this season when they lost consecutive games to UC Riverside and Washington, and haven't had a ton of opportunities to dig themselves out as they've played just six Quad 1 opponents and are 1-5 in those games. Colorado State will take on Boise State in Saturday's Mountain West Championship Game for a spot in the NCAA Tournament. Record: 25-7Conference Tournament result: Beat George Washington (80-65) What it means: The Patriots' record might seem impressive, but their résumé is not. Any slip-up in the A-10 Tournament will likely take them out of contention for the NCAA Tournament. They kept their hopes alive with a dominant performance against George Washington and will have to continue to string together victories to earn an auto- bid. Record: 24-9Conference Tournament result: Lost to Gonzaga (85-76) What it means: The Dons fell to Gonzaga in the WCC semifinals last weekend and finished conference play with a 13-5 mark. They own wins over Boise State and Saint Mary's, but their loss to the Bulldogs in the conference tournament marked their third defeat to them this season. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? 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Fox Sports
14-03-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Bubble Watch: Where things stand with 12 NCAA Tournament hopefuls
College Basketball Bubble Watch: Where things stand with 12 NCAA Tournament hopefuls Published Mar. 14, 2025 12:30 a.m. ET share facebook x reddit link With Selection Sunday around the corner, teams will soon learn their fate. Have they built a compelling enough case for an at-large bid? Will they need to bolster their résumé with conference tournament wins? Or do they need an automatic bid to qualify for the Big Dance? All will be decided soon enough. Heading into Thursday, FOX Sports bracket forecaster Mike DeCourcy had San Diego State, Indiana , Xavier and North Carolina as his last four teams to get into the tournament, while Texas , Ohio State , Wake Forest and UC Irvine were DeCourcy's first four teams out. Dayton, Boise State, Colorado State and George Mason were listed as DeCourcy's next four teams out of the NCAA Tournament. ADVERTISEMENT Here's how things stand with those 12 bubble teams as of Thursday night. Record: 21-9 Conference Tournament result: Lost to Boise State (62-52) What it means: San Diego State is at the committee's mercy. The Aztecs and Broncos were each fighting to get off the bubble and there's probably one spot between the two teams. The Aztecs have to hope their two regular-season wins over Boise State are more valuable than Thursday's Mountain West Tournament loss. The Aztecs also have more quality wins than the Broncos, including a 73-70 victory over No. 3 Houston on Nov. 30. If the Aztecs had beaten the Broncos, they probably would have clinched a trip to March Madness, so this result makes the committee's decision difficult. Record: 19-13 Conference Tournament result: Lost to No. 23 Oregon (72-59) What it means: Indiana will be sweating it out on Selection Sunday. It could go either way for the Hoosiers, who could have potentially sewn up a spot in the tourney with a win or two in the conference tournament. Instead, they will have to wait to see how a few other bubble teams fare. No. 9 Indiana vs. No. 8 Oregon Highlights | Big Ten Tournament Record: 21-11 Conference Tournament result: Lost to No. 25 Marquette (89-87) What it means: The Musketeers had ripped off seven wins heading into the Big East Tournament, albeit none of them were Quad 1 victories. A two-point loss to a tournament-caliber team in Marquette shouldn't hurt the Musketeers much, but a win would have stamped their trip to the Big Dance. Instead, it will be a close call for Sean Miller's team on Selection Sunday. Record: 22-12 Conference Tournament results: Beat Notre Dame (76-56) and Wake Forest (68-59); will play No. 1 Duke on Friday What it means: After seemingly being on the outside looking in after losing 82-69 to Duke on Saturday, the Tar Heels might have pushed themselves off the bubble with a pair of wins to open the ACC Tournament. They have another crack at the Blue Devils, who could be without star Cooper Flagg. That game will presumably determine UNC's NCAA Tournament fate. North Carolina and Xavier have very similar résumés, as each only has one win against Quad 1 opponents. Therefore, even with a loss to Duke, the Tar Heels' success in the ACC Tournament could give them a leg up on the Musketeers and other bubble teams that lost early in conference tournament play. Record: 19-14 Conference Tournament results: Beat Vanderbilt (79-72) and No. 14 Texas A&M (94-89, 2OT); will play No. 8 Tennessee on Friday What it means: Texas earned a hard-fought win over Texas A&M in double overtime. The Longhorns' record in conference play was just 6-12, but they impressed by advancing to the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament. A win over the Volunteers would all but guarantee Texas' invite to the dance, but the Longhorns have a strong case even if they lose on Friday. Record: 17-15 Conference Tournament result: Lost to Iowa (77-70) What it means: The Buckeyes, who lost five of their final seven games, have a win this season over one of their fellow bubble teams (Texas). Is that, along with key victories over Purdue and Kentucky, enough for them to sneak into the tournament? Probably not. Record: 21-11 Conference Tournament result: Lost to North Carolina (68-59) What it means: The Demon Deacons don't have much of an argument and their loss to fellow bubble-mate North Carolina doesn't help. Barring a surprise, Wake Forest will end up on the wrong side of the bubble. Record: 27-5 Conference Tournament result: Will play the winner of Cal Poly-UC Riverside on Friday What it means: The Anteaters have constructed a sturdy case for an at-large bid. Unfortunately for them, their Big West rival, UC San Diego, might have a more convincing one. The Tritons won the regular-season league title and are the one seed in the Big West Tournament. The Anteaters most likely have to win the tournament and earn an automatic bid, which could lead to both teams making the NCAA Tournament. Record: 22-9 Conference Tournament result: Will play Saint Joseph's on Friday What it means: Finishing third in the A-10 puts the Flyers at a disadvantage, and in a spot where they'll probably have to win the conference tournament to make the NCAA Tournament. Dayton did, however, beat VCU, the A-10 regular-season champs, on March 7 in the season finale. If the Flyers can replicate that performance, the A-10 could also be a two-bid league. Record: 23-9 Conference Tournament results: Beat San Diego State (62-52); will play New Mexico on Friday What it means: The Broncos' win over the Aztecs heavily boosted their case for a spot in the Big Dance as both teams are on the bubble. Boise State had won five of its last six coming into the Mountain West Tournament. A win over the Mountain West regular-season champions, New Mexico, would help the Broncos, but if they want to ensure a spot in March Madness, they'll probably have to win the conference tournament. Record: 23-9 Conference Tournament results: Beat Nevada (67-59); will play the winner of Utah State-UNLV on Friday What it means: Winners of their final seven regular-season games, the Rams are one of the hottest teams in the nation. They put themselves in a hole earlier this season when they lost consecutive games to UC Riverside and Washington, and haven't had a ton of opportunities to dig themselves out as they've played just six Quad 1 opponents and are 1-5 in those games. Colorado State, like Boise State, might have to win the Mountain West Tournament to lock up a spot in the NCAA Tournament, and if those two teams face one another on Saturday, it would make for an enticing battle. Record: 24-7 Conference Tournament result: Will play George Washington on Friday What it means: The Patriots' record might seem impressive, but their résumé is not. Any slip-up in the A-10 Tournament will likely take George Mason out of contention for the NCAA Tournament. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account , and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! share
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
MSU basketball rises in latest FOX Sports' bracketology update
Michigan State basketball is currently sitting pretty for a high seed in the NCAA Tournament, according to Mike DeCourcy of FOX Sports. DeCourcy released an updated batch of bracketology on Tuesday, and the Spartans are currently listed as a No. 2 seed. This is a common spot for the Spartans, who have skyrocketed up the seed lines over past two weeks. DeCourcy has Michigan State playing No. 15 seed Norfolk State in the first round of a Midwest Region matchup. The Spartans would face the winner of No. 7 seed Ole Miss and No. 10 seed Nebraska in the second round should they beat Norfolk State in this projected bracket. Michigan State is 22-5 overall and 13-3 in Big Ten play this year. The Spartans will face fellow high-level Big Ten foe Maryland on Wednesday night. Should the Spartans upset the Terps, they could rise even higher in DeCourcy's next bracket projection. Check out the complete bracketology update from DeCourcy in the post below: All the latest in @tsnmike's bracket forecast 🙌Let us know what you think ⬇️ — FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) February 25, 2025 Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan State news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Robert Bondy on X @RobertBondy5. This article originally appeared on Spartans Wire: Spartans listed as No. 2 seed in FOX Sports' bracketology update
Fox Sports
21-02-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
NCAA Tournament bubble watch: North Carolina, Indiana face uphill battle
With just over three weeks away from Selection Sunday, the stress for bubble teams intensifies. It's easy to say that your team is completely dialed in and unfazed by projections and rankings, but it's human nature to hit the refresh button and see where you stand right now. One coach whose team is firmly on the bubble told me, in part: "Our guys aren't hermits. They know what's at stake here and the madness is already underway for us." That coach is correct in more ways than one, because — unless you're an SEC team — if you're on the bubble, you have games right now that you absolutely can't lose. The ones that can move the needle, you really need to find a way to win. You want to give the selection committee a reason to include you in the field — not a reason to leave you out. With that, let's look at some winners and losers from the midweek games, where they fall in Mike DeCourcy's latest bracket forecast, and who we should have our eyes on heading into the weekend. BYU (Currently in DeCourcy's Last Four In) The Cougars should be much safer right now after seizing an opportunity against a Kansas team that — while they're 8-7 in the Big 12 — was still included on the 4-line in the selection committee's Saturday top 16 reveal. Kevin Young's team didn't just beat Kansas, they dominated the Jayhawks by 30-plus points, 91-57. The 34-point defeat, which tied the largest loss of Bill Self's tenure at Kansas, gave BYU a fourth Quad 1 result. With a 3-1 record against Quad 2, no bad losses and a NET of 31, star Richie Saunders and the Cougars should be thinking about their dancing shoes. The Mountaineers have had an up-and-down season, but the five Quad 1 wins — including victories over Iowa State, Arizona on a neutral court, and at Kansas — are jewels in the committee's eyes for a bubble team because they have reasons to put you into the field. WVU's NET ranking sits at 44 and its KPI is currently above UConn, BYU, VCU and SMU at 43. The Mountaineers survived Cincinnati on Wednesday — another loss for a Bearcats team that is on the outside looking in and will likely not make the tournament. This Saturday, a trip to Texas Tech awaits. If Darian DeVries' team can win that one, they should be moved off the bubble. I understand the committee doesn't take conference records into account, but the Razorbacks are 4-9 in the SEC. The record that is important is their 3-9 mark against Quad 1 teams after Wednesday's 67-60 loss to Auburn. With Adou Thiero and Johnell Davis leading the way, the Razorbacks gave the top-ranked team in the country all they could handle, something that would pass the eye test well, but I genuinely don't think John Calipari's team has enough in the here and now to justify them being tournament bound. Saturday brings a home game against a Missouri team that just scored 110 points in a statement win over Alabama on Wednesday. If the Hogs can win that, I'll put them on the right side of my bubble, but a NET in the 40s and KPI in the 50s isn't enough. Almost half of their wins come from Quadrant 4, and 11 of the 15 victories are from the bottom two quadrants. If they can't beat Mizzou at home and drop to 4-10 in the league, I'm sorry, but they can't be in the projected field. The interesting element with the Demon Deacons is that they're 35th in KPI, a results-based metric judging a team's body of work. With a NET ranking of 58 and two Quad 1 wins, as well as a Quad 3 loss, it's hard to fully understand where to pinpoint Steve Forbes' team. Résumé aside, I think this is a tournament-caliber team with Hunter Sallis (18.5 points per game) leading the way and Cam Hildreth and Tre'Von Spillers also averaging double-figures, but they can ill-afford a bad loss in the weak ACC. The Demon Deacons travel to North Carolina State on Saturday before hosting Virginia and Notre Dame. All three are non-negotiable. They have to win. This is another team that's, unfortunately, a victim of a weak ACC and has as many Quadrant 4 losses as they have Quadrant 1 wins: one. The Rams have a huge game against a visiting George Mason team on Saturday for first place in their only meeting of the regular season. When your best win is against Dayton and your worst loss is to Seton Hall, you're not getting in as an at-large — barring something wild happening. The Bulldogs have lost eight of their past 10 games and the two wins are over non-tournament teams in LSU and South Carolina. They're at Auburn and then home to Florida in the next two games. I really think they need one of these next two, or else going 2-10 in a 12-game stretch this time of year could mark your end. I don't care how great your league is. I would love a two-bid Big West! That said, it seems highly unlikely. With the Anteaters tied in the standings with UC San Diego at 12-2 in the conference and the two teams at a combined 41-8 on the year, I can understand why whoever doesn't win the league tournament would be on the radar. However, the committee has shown us over the years that it is rarely, if ever, going to give an at-large team a bid from a league where 17 of its wins are in the bottom two quadrants. I love the UC Irvine story, but they have one Quad 1 win and two Quad 3 losses. That's a no-go. The Mustangs are in the top 40 in NET and the top 50 in KPI. The problem is they own zero Quad 1 victories. Saturday could change that: a must-win game at home against a ranked Clemson squad. It's the game Andy Enfield's team needs in its pursuit of a bid. It's hard to believe there are this many dead spots on the ACC schedule that only harm you severely if you lose and don't do much, if anything at all, if you win. RJ Davis tallied 21 points, while Seth Trimble had 15 in North Carolina's 97-73 win over North Carolina State. The issue? The Wolfpack are 10-16, so a win is expected, and a loss ends your season. Up next: Virginia on Saturday. Just keep winning, UNC. If you do that over the next four games, your Super Bowl is March 8 vs. Duke. No Big East team has been left out of the NCAA Tournament with 21 regular-season wins since Syracuse in 2007. Different times or not, that's still a note that carries some weight. Xavier would be fine if it had not blown so many chances in non-conference play, with losses at Cincinnati and TCU showing the team's flaws. With just one Quad 1 win at the moment, they should be rooting for UConn (NET: 36) to find a way into the top 30 to get another Q1 win. The Musketeers have a visit to Seton Hall, a season-changing home game with Creighton, before Butler and Providence. That game against the Bluejays on March 1 (4:30 pm ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app) should be wild. If Xavier wins out, Sean Miller's team should hear their name called. The Musketeers have no bad losses and are 6-1 in Quadrant 2. With a NET of 57, a KenPom that is sandwiched in between Cincinnati and Villanova and a solid enough KPI at 42, the Hoosiers have to start making hay — or else. After a nine-day layoff, Mike Woodson's team hosts a Purdue squad that will be trying to bounce back from three straight losses. Indiana did pull off its best win of the season when it shocked Michigan State in East Lansing last week behind Malik Reneau's 19 points. To really pad the résumé, the Hoosiers need to win Saturday's game at Assembly Hall over Purdue, which would count as a huge Quad 1 win and maybe even get them on the right side of the bubble again. After this game, it's Penn State, Washington, Oregon and Ohio State. You'd like to get three of those. John Fanta is a national college basketball broadcaster and writer for FOX Sports. He covers the sport in a variety of capacities, from calling games on FS1 to serving as lead host on the BIG EAST Digital Network to providing commentary on The Field of 68 Media Network. Follow him at @John_Fanta . Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily . recommended Get more from College Basketball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
