Michigan State basketball reached the Elite Eight last year, and one analyst believes the Spartans could take that next step and return to the Final Four for the first time since 2019.
National college basketball analyst Andy Katz released his 10 dark horse teams to reach the Final Four in 2026, and he included Michigan State in the mix. The Spartans were one of six Big Ten teams included in his list: UCLA, Oregon, Illinois, Wisconsin and Ohio State being the other five.
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Check out his full list below:
The Spartans are ranked No. 22 in the preseason Associated Press poll and considered an upper half Big Ten team this year, but not at the top of the league with Purdue and Michigan. Michigan State is looking to have back-to-back strong seasons for the first time in quite awhile.
In October it’s hard to predict who will reach the Final Four, but it’s reassuring to see someone like Katz believe it’s possible for Michigan State. We will obviously need to see if they can back up that faith when the season tips off next month, but this raise fans’ expectations with the season right around the corner.
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Michigan State will tip off the 2025-26 season on November 3 against Colgate. Tipoff from the Breslin Center is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET and the game will be available to watch via streaming on Big Ten Plus.
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This article originally appeared on Spartans Wire: MSU basketball listed as dark horse pick to reach Final Four
