MSU Behind Bitter Rival in Way-too-Early Bracketology

Originally posted on Michigan State Spartans on SI
By Tom Cavanaugh | Last updated Jun 24, 2025 3:44 PM ET

The 2026 NCAA Tournament is still nine full months away, but it is never too early to start dreaming about the next time you will watch March Madness basketball.

ESPN's Joe Lunardi's third projection for next year's tournament has the Spartans placed as a No. 4 seed in the Midwest Region, playing in Buffalo, New York, against the No. 13 seed Miami-Ohio Redhawks.

There are 11 Big Ten teams in the way-too-early projection, which awards the Purdue Boilermakers a No. 1 seed. The UCLA Bruins were also given a No. 4 seed, with Illinois earning a No. 4 and Wisconsin as one of the No. 6 seeds. It will once again be a stacked conference, arguably the best in the country.

The Spartans are coming off a season where they finished as a No. 2 seed in the South Region, winning three games to reach the Elite Eight, ultimately losing to the No. 1 Auburn Tigers. It was their best seeding since the 2018-19 season when Michigan State was a No. 2 seed again, losing in the Final Four.

It is hard to say if the Spartans are better, worse or exactly the same talent level and ceiling than last year. Many are projecting them towards the back end of the preseason top 25 or not ranked at all despite adding several veteran transfers that have elite scoring qualities.

Not to mention, coach Tom Izzo is still at the helm of this program and his success rate in the tournament is something that is unrivaled amongst current head coaches. Even if the Spartans were to receive a four seed as. Lunardi predicts, Izzo will have his team primed for another deep run.

Lunardi also put the Michigan Wolverines as a No. 2 seed in the East Region (Washington D.C.), taking on No. 15 Youngstown State. Based off of the preseason rankings and the success that Michigan has in the transfer portal this offseason, they are widely projected to have an extremely successful year.

It is obviously extremely early to be projecting where each team will land in next year's March Madness tournament, but it is helpful to realize the preseason expectations for each team. The Spartans will now be looking to prove the experts wrong and become better than a No. 4 seed.

Make sure to follow the official Spartan Nation page on Facebook, Spartan Nation, and give your thoughts on where you think Michigan State will be seeded next year WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE, and be a part of our lively community group, Go Green Go White, as well WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.