The Case for Michigan State as the Big Ten’s No. 2 Team

Are the Spartans the second-best team in the Big Ten?

There’s no argument from me—or pretty much anyone in the state of Michigan, or any college basketball fan—that the No. 1 team in the Big Ten is the Michigan Wolverines. They’ve laid waste to nearly every team that has crossed their path, with the lone exception being Wisconsin. That dominance includes a whooping of Michigan State in the Breslin Center.

But the real question is this: who ranks behind them in legitimate chances to win a national championship out of the Big Ten?

The teams in that discussion are:

Currently, the standings show Illinois sitting second with 11 conference wins and just two losses. Nebraska is right behind them with two losses and 10 wins. Michigan State follows with three losses and 10 wins, while Purdue rounds out the top five with three losses and nine conference victories.

Yes, we’re leaving out UCLA, Iowa, and Wisconsin—three teams that could absolutely crack the top five by season’s end. But when the conversation is about who is the second-best team right now and who has the best chance to win a national title, those teams simply don’t meet the same criteria as the four above them.

To the naked eye, the real battle is between Illinois and Michigan State.

Nebraska is having a historic season—one unmatched in program history. They defeated the Spartans and nearly knocked off Michigan. They play high-IQ basketball and do it the right way. They are absolutely a team capable of making noise and pushing deep into the tournament.

Yet, my problem with Nebraska is simple: I just don’t believe.

Great regular-season teams can still get exposed in the gauntlet of the NCAA Tournament, and inexperience has a way of haunting teams in March. Nebraska narrowly escaped a home win against Michigan State on a night when the Spartans turned the ball over 21 times. Even with MSU’s turnover issues this season, I wouldn’t expect anything close to that performance on a neutral court. Nebraska is having an incredible year, but for me, they land fifth on this list.

At No. 4, I have Purdue.

There’s an argument they should be ranked fifth—or maybe not on the list at all. They dropped three straight games, only one of which came against a ranked opponent (then-No. 11 Illinois), and they’ve looked off lately. In typical Purdue fashion, this feels like a late-season lull.

But Michigan State also dropped two in a row and nearly made it three. To me, short losing streaks late in the season can toughen teams up and sharpen focus. Add in Matt Painter’s tournament experience, and even if Purdue isn’t ranked higher than Nebraska, I’d still trust them more to win games in March. Braden Smith is a stud who sees the floor at an elite level. We’ll learn a lot about Purdue with three ranked opponents in their next five games—starting with Nebraska, then Michigan, and then Michigan State.

That brings us to Illinois versus Michigan State.

If Saturday night told us anything, it’s that the Spartans match up extremely well with Illinois. Yes, the win came at home, which matters. But on a neutral floor and against a variety of opponents, this is why I believe Michigan State is the better team—and the second-best team in the Big Ten.

Illinois is elite. There’s no denying that. They’re led by one of the best prospects in the country in Keaton Wagler, who has humiliated defenses all season. But Michigan State showed the blueprint. Freshman Jordan Scott was draped all over Wagler, even while banged up, holding him to just two made field goals. Will that happen every time? No. But the recipe exists—and it worked.

Much like a Bill Belichick–coached team, Michigan State took away Illinois’ star and forced the rest of the roster to beat them. The Spartans shot poorly and still managed 87 points in overtime, doing so in their first game without starting guard Divine Ugochukwu.

Illinois relies heavily on Wagler, and he’s proven he can carry a team—just ask Purdue after giving up 46 points. But asking a freshman to shoulder that load late in a grueling six-month season can catch up fast. Legs get heavy. Shots come up short.

Michigan State is built on veteran leadership. These guys understand that the season is a marathon, not a sprint. The Spartans win with defense, and that’s what travels in March. Teams that live by 30-plus three-point attempts can catch fire—but it’s rarely sustainable.

So, in my opinion, the Top 5 Big Ten teams and best national title contenders are:

The Spartans are the second-best team in the Big Ten—and they’ll have every opportunity to prove it. Michigan State has the third-hardest remaining strength of schedule in the conference, with matchups against Wisconsin, UCLA, Purdue, and Michigan still ahead. The gauntlet is almost complete.

Now it’s time to prove their worth.