MSU basketball ranked as top team in January by popular metrics system

Michigan State basketball has been the best team in the country since the turn of the new year, according to one notable analytics rankings system.

Since January 1, Michigan State basketball ranks as the No. 1 team nationally in the Torvik rankings. The Torvik system is one of the top analytics metrics rankings used in college basketball, comparable to KenPom rankings or traditional RPI rankings.

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Michigan State holds a record of 6-1 in the month of January with their lone loss being a two-point defeat at undefeated Nebraska to open the new year. Since then, Michigan State has won each of its six games by double-digits, with an average margin of victory of just under 23 points per game.

The competition Michigan State has played in January hasn’t necessarily been stellar, but blowout wins over USC and Indiana are notable considering both are in the hunt for a spot in the NCAA Tournament. Things are also about to get harder this week with a tricky road game at Rutgers and a massive top 10 matchup against rival Michigan on Friday.

Michigan State ranks as the No. 5 team in the country overall in Torvik’s season-long rankings. The Spartans are 18-2 overall and 8-1 in Big Ten play, and again look like a threat for a deep run in March.

Click on the post below to see the complete rankings of the top 20 teams in January per Torvik: