In the 2023-24 season, MSU was ranked preseason No. 4, ahead of the reigning and eventually repeating champion UConn Huskies.  

MSU was upset in overtime by James Madison in its home opener and the downhill slide began. After the third week of the regular season, the Spartans were 3-3 and had fallen outside the national rankings. They finished 20-15 overall and 10-10 in conference play, losing in the second round of March Madness against No. 1-seed North Carolina.

"Last year we were supposed to be really good but it just didn't work out the way we all expected," economics senior Aryaman Khosla said. "I think we are gonna be under the radar until the Kansas game. That game should tell us a lot as it's our first big game."

Now, two games into the 2024-25 season, the Spartans are on the outside looking in, rankings-wise. Big Ten teams Purdue, Indiana, UCLA and Rutgers are currently ranked. 

MSU has only returned one player from last year's starting lineup: senior guard Jaden Akins. Last season, he averaged a career-high 10.4 points per game but also a career-low in three-point percentage (36%).

Izzo and his staff will lean heavily this season on Akins and transfer forward Frankie Fidler, a 20-point per game scorer at the University of Omaha and First Team All-Summit Conference player last season. MSU will also look to sophomores Xavier Booker and Jeremy Fears Jr. for major production.

Izzo has repeatedly said Akins is MSU's go-to guy this season.

"I think this team has a lot of potential, but there is a lot of unknown," economics junior Aidan Klinger said. "I am a bit worried about Jaden Akins as a main scorer, but, other than that, Fidler should be our main scoring option."

Other returners such as junior guard Tre Holloman, junior forward Jaxon Kohler and sophomore forward Coen Carr appear to have expanded roles compared to last season. Izzo has sure-fire shooting off the bench in redshirt freshman Gehrig Normand and freshman guard Kur Teng, but it is unclear how many minutes either will play on average.

The Spartans were in control for the entirety of their games against Monmouth and Niagara this past week. Akins led the team with 23 points against Monmouth while freshman guard Jase Richardson was efficient in his first collegiate game, shooting 4-for-5 from the field and scoring 10 points off the bench.

MSU beat Niagara 96-60 as Kohler came off the bench and dropped a career-high 20 points with 13 rebounds and two steals in 17 minutes. Akins, Fidler and Richardson also reached double-digit points.

"This was a fun game to watch. It felt like everything went our way the whole game," political science junior Yanni Murphy said.