Will Michigan State’s non-conference schedule be among Tom Izzo’s toughest?

First, there’s a recreation on an plane provider in opposition to one in all school basketball’s prime applications to open the season.

Then there’s a date with the returning nationwide participant of the 12 months, a recreation in opposition to a Ultimate 4 staff from final season and one other journey out West to play within the Phil Knight Invitational.

Michigan State’s 2022-23 non-conference schedule is shaping as much as be robust, even by the Spartans’ requirements.

As a part of that non-conference schedule, which grew to become clearer this week when the Spartans’ opener in opposition to Gonzaga was finalized, Michigan State is presently slated to face three groups ranked within the prime 15 of Barttorvik.com’s preseason rankings: Gonzaga (1), Kentucky (9) and Villanova (15). Throw in a visit to No. 34 Notre Dame for good measure.

What is going to decide whether or not that is only a robust slate or a monstrously robust one can be Michigan State’s draw within the eight-team Phil Knight Invitational. If Michigan State faces North Carolina (4) and Villanova once more, it may see 5 top-20 groups earlier than November is thru. And groups like Oregon and Alabama might be that prime within the rankings, too, as soon as this event rolls round.

Michigan State is, after all, no stranger to tough non-conference schedules in 27 seasons beneath Tom Izzo. Right here’s a take a look at the 5 hardest, in line with Kenpom.com:

2003-04

There was nearly no room to breathe on this whopper of a schedule. Michigan State had video games in opposition to Duke (1), Kansas (18), Kentucky (10) and Syracuse (30), with two of these on the street. It additionally took a mid-December journey to UCLA and threw in two extra top-100 dwelling video games in DePaul and Penn for good measure. In the long run, solely three of the 11 non-conference video games have been in opposition to groups exterior of the highest 100.

Michigan State went 5-6 with this slate and regardless of a 12-4 Large Ten season managed only a No. 7 seed and misplaced within the first spherical.

2010-11

5 video games in opposition to top-20 groups, solely one in all which was at dwelling, lands this schedule close to the highest. The Spartans went to Cameron Indoor Stadium whereas additionally going through Connecticut and Washington within the Maui Invitational and Syracuse in Madison Sq. Backyard, then Texas at dwelling. It went 1-4 in these video games earlier than going 9-9 in Large Ten play and sneaking into the NCAA Event.

2008-09

A Ford Subject recreation in opposition to top-ranked North Carolina (a preview of the nationwide title recreation) highlighted a slate that additionally included an early January recreation in opposition to Kansas and video games in opposition to Oklahoma State and Kansas for 4 top-30 video games. That 35-point loss seemed dangerous, however the Spartans went 10-2 within the non-conference, 25-5 within the common season and made the nationwide title recreation or simply the third time at school historical past.

2016-17

This slate cracks the highest 5 based mostly on analytics, and you may make the case it was even harder based mostly on the journey: the Spartans opened with a recreation in Hawaii on a Friday, then performed in New York on a Tuesday. Oh and it went to Cameron Indoor Stadium and performed a pair of top-15 groups within the Battle 4 Atlantis. The end result: 5 top-20 opponents, all away from dwelling, earlier than the top of November. A freshman-led staff struggled to a 7-5 begin to the 12 months.

2021-22

Sure, Michigan State’s schedule from final 12 months sneaks onto this record. It had a usually robust Champions Traditional matchup in opposition to a top-three Kansas staff. However what actually made this schedule was Michigan State’s draw within the Battle 4 Atlantis: Loyola Chicago, Connecticut and Baylor have been all top-30 groups that went on to make the NCAA Event, and Baylor was a top-five take a look at on the time.