The 2019–20 Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team represented

Michigan State University Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the fi ...

in the

2019–20 NCAA Division I men's basketball season The 2019–20 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 5, 2019. The first tournament was the 2K Sports Classic and the season concluded prematurely on March 12, 2020. The 2020 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament was sch ...

. The Spartans were led by 25th-year head coach

Tom Izzo Tom Izzo (, ); born January 30, 1955) is an American college basketball coach who has been the head coach at Michigan State University since 1995. On April 4, 2016, Izzo was elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Izzo has led the Spart ...

and play their home games at

Breslin Center The Jack Breslin Student Events Center is a multi-purpose arena at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan. The arena opened in 1989, and is named for Jack Breslin, MSU alumnus, former athlete and administrator, who first began p ...

East Lansing, Michigan East Lansing is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. Most of the city lies within Ingham County, Michigan, Ingham County with a smaller portion extending north into Clinton County, Michigan, Clinton County. At the 2020 United States Census, 2020 ...

as members of the

Big Ten Conference The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...

. With a win against

Ohio State The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best public ...

on March 8, 2020, the Spartans earned a share of their third straight Big Ten regular season championship. The Spartans finished the season 22–9, 14–6 in Big Ten play to finish in a three-way tie for first place. Their season ended following the cancellation of postseason tournaments due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

. On January 5, in a game against rival

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

, senior point guard

Cassius Winston Cassius Winston (born February 28, 1998) is an American professional basketball player for Bayern Munich of the German Basketball Bundesliga (BBL) and the EuroLeague. He played college basketball for the Michigan State Spartans. High school c ...

recorded nine assists to move his career total over 800 making him the first Big Ten basketball player to ever record more than 1,600 points and 800 assists in a career. On January 17, Winston recorded his 817th career assist moving him past

Mateen Cleaves Mateen Ahmad Cleaves (born September 7, 1977) is a retired American basketball player. He played parts of six seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was an All-American college player for Michigan State, where he led the Sparta ...

for the most assists in Big Ten history. Cassius Winston was a consensus All-American for the second consecutive year, becoming only the second Spartan to become an All-American in more than one season. Winston is one of only four players in Division I history with at least 1,900 points and 850 assists for a career and was one of just seven Division I players to average at least 18.0 points, 5.5 assists, and 2.0 rebounds per game on the season. With a win over

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

on February 29, Tom Izzo earned his 300th career Big Ten win, leaving him 53 victories behind the all-time leader

Bob Knight Robert Montgomery Knight (born October 25, 1940) is an American former basketball coach. Nicknamed "the General", Knight won 902 NCAA Division I men's college basketball games, a record at the time of his retirement, and currently fourth all-ti ...

. The Spartans began the season as the preseason No. 1 in both the AP and Coaches polls for the first time in school history.

Previous season

The

Spartans Sparta (Doric Greek: Σπάρτα, ''Spártā''; Attic Greek: Σπάρτη, ''Spártē'') was a prominent city-state in Laconia, in ancient Greece. In antiquity, the city-state was known as Lacedaemon (, ), while the name Sparta referred t ...

finished the 2018–19 season 32–7, 16–4 to earn a share of the Big Ten championship. As the No. 1 seed in the Big Ten tournament, they defeated

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

, and

(for the third time on the season) to win the tournament championship. The win over Ohio State on March 15, 2019 marked Tom Izzo's 600th career win. The Tournament win marked the school's sixth tournament championship, the most in the Big Ten. As a result of the Tournament victory, the Spartans received the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament as the No. 2 seed in the East Region. In the First Round of the NCAA Tournament, MSU defeated No. 15-seeded

Bradley Bradley is an English surname derived from a place name meaning "broad wood" or "broad meadow" in Old English. Like many English surnames Bradley can also be used as a given name and as such has become popular. It is also an Anglicisation of t ...

two days before beating No. 10-seeded

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

to advance to the team's first Sweet Sixteen since

2015 File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...

. In the regional semifinals, the Spartans defeated No. 3-seeded

LSU Louisiana State University (officially Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as LSU) is a public land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The university was founded in 1860 near ...

to advance to the Elite Eight. There they defeated overall No. 1-seed

Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ran ...

to advance to the school's 10th Final Four and eighth under head coach, Tom Izzo. In the National Semifinals, Michigan State lost to No. 3-seed

Texas Tech Texas Tech University (Texas Tech, Tech, or TTU) is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas. Established on , and called Texas Technological College until 1969, it is the main institution of the five-institution Texas Tech University Sys ...

. The Spartans were led by Big Ten Player of the Year, junior

, who won the NCAA Tournament East Region's award for Most Outstanding Player, averaging 18.9 points and 7.5 assists per game on the season. He and sophomore

Xavier Tillman Xavier Justis Tillman Sr. (born January 12, 1999) is an American professional basketball player for the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Michigan State Spartans. Early life In ...

were both selected for the East Region All-Tournament team.

Offseason

Departures

On April 19, 2019, Nick Ward announced he would declare for the NBA draft and sign with an agent. He announced he did not intend to return to MSU despite new draft rules which would allow him to do so. Ward was not selected for the NBA draft.

Returning players

On April 19, 2019,

announced he would not enter the NBA draft and would return to school for his senior season.

Recruiting class

On September 22, 2018, four-star point guard

Rocket Watts Mark "Rocket" Watts Jr. (born June 1, 2000) is an American college basketball player for the Oakland Golden Grizzlies of the Horizon League. He previously played for the Michigan State Spartans and Mississippi State Bulldogs. High school career W ...

committed to the Spartans. On November 1, 2018, four-star forward Malik Hall committed to MSU. On December 6, MSU once again missed out on a top recruit as No. 2-ranked

Vernon Carey Vernon A. Carey Sr. (born July 31, 1981) is an American former professional football player who was an offensive tackle for eight seasons with the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Dolphins with the 1 ...

chose Duke over the Spartans. On March 10, 2019, the day after witnessing MSU defeat Michigan to win a share of the Big Ten championship, three-star forward Julius Marble announced he had committed to MSU.

Incoming transfers

On May 28, 2019, Marquette forward

Joey Hauser Joey Hauser (born July 17, 1999) is an American college basketball player for the Michigan State Spartans of the Big Ten Conference. He previously played for the Marquette Golden Eagles. High school career Hauser attended Stevens Point Area Senio ...

announced he would transfer to MSU. On September 11, Tom Izzo stated that the school had requested a waiver from the NCAA to allow Hauser to play in the 2019–20 season, but Izzo did not expect the waiver to be granted. Izzo later announced that the waiver had been denied, but that the school had appealed the ruling. On November 21, Izzo announced that the appeal had formally been denied. Izzo stated he was "devastated" by the denial and announced he had resigned from his position on the board of the National Association of Basketball Coaches. Hauser sat out the 2019–20 season as a result, but will have at least two years of eligibility left beginning in the 2020–21 season.

Early offseason rankings

In April 2019, most early pollsters listed Michigan State as the No. 1 team in the country for the 2019–20 season. These included

ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...

(No. 1), ''

Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence twic ...

'' (No. 1),

Yahoo! Sports Yahoo! Sports is a sports news website launched by Yahoo! on December 8, 1997. It receives a majority of its information from STATS, Inc. It employs numerous writers, and has team pages for teams in almost every North American major sport. Bef ...

(No. 1), ''

USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...

'' (No. 1),

NBC Sports NBC Sports is an American programming division of the broadcast network NBC, owned and operated by NBC Sports Group division of NBCUniversal and subsidiary of Comcast. The division is responsible for sports broadcasts on the network, and its d ...

(No. 1),

CBS Sports CBS Sports is the sports division of the American television network CBS. Its headquarters are in the CBS Building on W 52nd Street in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, with programs produced out of Studio 43 at the CBS Broadcast Center on W 5 ...

(No. 1), and

Bleacher Report Bleacher Report (often abbreviated as B/R) is a website that focuses on sport and sports culture. Its headquarters are in San Francisco, with offices in New York City and London. Bleacher Report was acquired by Turner Broadcasting System in Aug ...

(No. 1). Only the ''

Sporting News The ''Sporting News'' is a website and former magazine publication owned by Sporting News Holdings, which is a U.S.-based sports media company formed in December 2020 by a private investor consortium. It was originally established in 1886 as a pr ...

'' failed to list MSU No. 1 instead listing them as No. 2. In a poll of over 100 college basketball coaches conducted by CBS Sports, the Spartans were picked to win the 2020 National Championship, receiving a record 54% of the votes. Cassius Winston was selected as the best player for the season, receiving a record 50% of the votes.

Preseason

Preseason rankings

In its preseason college preview,

Lindy's Sports ''Lindy's Sports'', also known as ''Lindy's'', is a sports magazine. It was established in 1982, and is located in Birmingham, Alabama. Lindy Davis is its publisher and founder, having started the magazine when he was a 26-year-old student at Sa ...

ranked Michigan State No. 1 in the country and picked the Spartans to win the Big Ten.

Athlon Sports Parade Media (previously known as AMG/Parade and Athlon Media Group) is a publisher founded in 1967 that is based in Nashville, Tennessee. Nashville's Spencer Hays was its majority stockholder. It was purchased by The Arena Group in 2022 and now ...

also ranked MSU as No. 1 in the country and also picked the Spartans to win the Big Ten.

and ''

Street and Smith Street & Smith or Street & Smith Publications, Inc. was a New York City publisher specializing in inexpensive paperbacks and magazines referred to as dime novels and pulp fiction. They also published comic books and sporting yearbooks. Among t ...

'' also named MSU No. 1 in the country. For the first time in school history, the Spartans were ranked No.1 in the Preseason AP Poll. The Spartans were also ranked No. 1 in the preseason Coaches Poll, also for the first time in school history.

Preseason Big Ten polls

Prior to the conference's annual media day, unofficial awards and a poll were chosen by a panel of 28 writers, two for each team in the conference. Michigan State was the near unanimous selection to win the conference, receiving 27 of 28 first-place votes. At Big Ten media day, Cassius Winston was a unanimous selection as the preseason player of the year. Winston was also a unanimous selection to the 10-member All-Big Ten Preseason Team. Xavier Tillman was also selected to the team. CBS Sports picked MSU to win the Big Ten while naming Winston as the Preseason Player of the Year and Tom Izzo as Preseason Coach of the Year.

Preseason awards

CBS Sports named Cassius Winston to the Preseason All-American first team and picked him as Preseason Player of the Year. CBS also named Tom Izzo as the Preseason Coach of the Year. Winston was named to the preseason watch list for the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award. Xavier Tillman was named to the preseason watch list for the Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award.

Joshua Langford Joshua Langford (born January 15, 1997) is an American basketball coach and former player. He is an assistant coach for the boys team at Madison Academy. He played college basketball for the Michigan State Spartans. A native of Huntsville, Alaba ...

was named to the preseason watch list for the Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award.

Preseason scrimmage

For the second straight season, the Spartans lost to Gonzaga in a preseason scrimmage, this time the scrimmage occurred in

Denver, Colorado Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

on October 19, 2019. Cassius Winston led the Spartans with 20 points and seven assists. Aaron Henry added 13 points while Xavier Tillman scored six points and had 10 rebounds. MSU lost 103–87 in the scrimmage.

Joshua Langford injury

On October 22, Tom Izzo announced that

, who only played in 13 games the previous season due to a foot injury, had suffered a setback and would not be able to play to start the season. Izzo said Langford would be out indefinitely and would be reevaluated in January 2020. On December 19, Izzo announced that Langford would be out for the season and would not return.

Exhibition

On October 29, the Spartans played an exhibition game at Breslin Center against

Albion College Albion College is a private liberal arts college in Albion, Michigan. The college was founded in 1835 and its undergraduate population was approximately 1,500 students in 2014. They participate in NCAA Division III and the Michigan Intercolle ...

. Cassius Winston's two younger brothers, Zach and Khy, were on the Albion team, though Zach did not play due to an injury. Mark "Rocket" Watts started as the shooting guard with Langford out and Thomas Kithier started at power forward. Xavier Tillman led MSU with 19 points and eight rebounds while Winston scored 16 points and added nine assists. Kithier grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds as the Spartans used several different lineups in the tune-up prior to the season opener on November 5. MSU won easily 85–50.

Regular season

Early non-conference games

Kentucky

The Spartans took on No. 2-ranked

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...

to open the season on November 5 at the

Champions Classic The Champions Classic is an event that tips off the NCAA Division I men's basketball season. It features four of the top college basketball programs in the United States: Duke Blue Devils men's basketball, Duke, Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball, ...

. The game was played at

Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as The Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth avenues from 31st to 33rd Street, above Pennsylva ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

. MSU trailed for most of the game, falling behind every time they were able to move close to the Wildcats. Cassius Winston led the Spartans with 21 points, but no other Spartan scored more than Gabe Brown's 10 points. MSU shot less than 20% from three and under 40% from the floor. They were able to narrow the Kentucky lead to two points with just over a minute remaining, but were unable to complete the comeback, losing 69–62. The Spartans turned the ball over 15 times in the loss.

Binghamton

MSU returned home to take on

Binghamton Binghamton () is a city in the U.S. state of New York, and serves as the county seat of Broome County. Surrounded by rolling hills, it lies in the state's Southern Tier region near the Pennsylvania border, in a bowl-shaped valley at the conflue ...

in their home opener on November 10. Shortly before the game, it was revealed that Cassius Winston's brother Zach had been hit by a train and died the night before. It was later announced that Zach had committed suicide. Winston chose to play in the game and scored 17 points and dished out 11 assists. Xavier Tillman also scored 17, while Aaron Henry had 16 and Marcus Bingham Jr. had 13. The Spartans led by 31 at the half and won easily, 100–47. MSU continued to struggle from three, making only 28% of their three-pointers, but did shoot over 63% from the floor and had only four turnovers in the easy win. Michigan State had a moment of silence before the game in Zach Winston's memory. The win evened MSU's record at 1–1 on the season.

Seton Hall

The newly third-ranked Spartans traveled to take on No. 12

Seton Hall Seton Hall University (SHU) is a private Catholic research university in South Orange, New Jersey. Founded in 1856 by then-Bishop James Roosevelt Bayley and named after his aunt, Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, Seton Hall is the oldest diocesa ...

Newark, New Jersey Newark ( , ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the seat of Essex County and the second largest city within the New York metropolitan area.Gavitt Tipoff games. Seton Hall guard Myles Powell, who suffered an ankle injury in his team's previous game, surprisingly started and scored 37 points against the Spartans as the game remained tight throughout. Cassius Winston, playing in his second game since his brother's death, scored 21 points for the Spartans, but it was Malik Hall who helped the Spartans to the win, scoring 17 points in 19 minutes on a perfect 7–7 from the floor. Rocket Watts added a clutch three-pointer after missing a layup on the prior possession to keep the Spartans in the game. Due mostly to Hall's 3–3 from three, the Spartans shot 44% from behind the arc. Hall hit the game-winning layup with less than a minute remaining as the Spartans pulled out the 76–73 win. The Spartans moved to 2–1 on the season with the win.

Charleston Southern

The Spartans returned home to face

Charleston Southern Charleston Southern University (CSU) is a private Baptist university in North Charleston, South Carolina. It is affiliated with the South Carolina Baptist Convention ( Southern Baptist Convention). History Charleston Southern University was ch ...

on November 18. Aaron Henry did not play in the game due to ankle injuries suffered in the Seton Hall game. Xavier Tillman scored a career-high 21 points and grabbed 10 rebounds as MSU destroyed Charleston Southern 94–46. Gabe Brown made his first career start and scored 12 points including a couple of impressive dunks. Rocket Watts scored a career-high 11 in the win. Following the game, Winston addressed the crowd in his first public comments since the loss of his brother. MSU moved to 3–1 with the win.

Maui Invitatoinal

= Virginia Tech

= MSU traveled to

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...

to participate in the Maui Invitational with games beginning November 25. In the first game against

Virginia Tech Virginia Tech (formally the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and informally VT, or VPI) is a Public university, public Land-grant college, land-grant research university with its main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia. It also ...

, Cassius Winston suffered foul trouble and was held to only seven points and two assists. The Spartans had problems limiting Tech's three-point shooting, allowing the Hokies to shoot over 47% from three. Aaron Henry led the Spartans with 18 points while Xavier Tillman had 14 rebounds. However, a 10-point deficit late proved too much for the Spartans to overcome as they were shockingly defeated 71–66 in the first round of the tournament. Tom Izzo publicly apologized for the loss after the game, citing Winston's recent tough times with the loss of his brother. Izzo admitted he was out-coached in the game. The loss dropped the Spartans to 3–2 on the season.

= Georgia

= The Spartans next faced

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

, coached by former Izzo assistant

Tom Crean Tom or Thomas Crean may refer to: *Thomas Crean (1873–1923), Irish rugby union player, British Army soldier and doctor *Tom Crean (explorer) (1877–1938), Irish seaman and Antarctic explorer *Tom Crean (basketball) Thomas Aaron Crean (born Ma ...

, in the consolation bracket on day two of the tournament. The Spartans jumped out to an early lead over the Bulldogs as Cassius Winston rebounded from his rough first game of the tournament. Winston scored 28 points while Xavier Tillman added 15 and Aaron Henry scored 14. MSU led by more than 20 early in the second half before Georgia freshman Anthony Edwards went off, scoring 33 of his 27 points in the second half to bring Georgia within two points. The Spartans held off the Bulldogs however, winning 93–85. Tom Izzo noted after the game that he needed to persuade Winston, who was still struggling with the death of his brother, to leave the locker room to play the game. Winston responded with eight assists in the win. The win moved MSU to 4–2 on the season.

= UCLA

= MSU next faced

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California St ...

in the fifth place game of the Maui Tournament. Cassius Winston again played well, scoring 20 points while Xavier Tillman had 13 points as MSU led throughout against the Bruins. Leading by as many as 15 in the second half, the Spartans won 75–62 marking the end of the tournament the team. Marcus Bingham Jr. started his second straight game, marking his first start of the season, but only played seven minutes and failed to score. MSU left Maui with a 5–2 record on the season.

Duke

The newly 11th-ranked Spartans returned home to face

in the

ACC–Big Ten Challenge The ACC–Big Ten Challenge (or Big Ten–ACC Challenge as it was called in alternating years) was an in-season NCAA Division I men's college basketball series that matched up teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and the Big Ten Confer ...

on December 3. The Spartans, who were 2–11 under Tom Izzo against Duke were run off the floor by the Blue Devils. Duke took an early lead behind former MSU recruiting target Vernon Carey and extended their lead to over 20 points in the second half. Duke shot over 56% from the field including 46% from three as they demolished the Spartans 87–75. Xavier Tillman scored 20 for the Spartans who, after being the preseason No. 1 team, dropped to 5–3 on the season. Tom Izzo again apologized for the performance after the game, saying the Spartans were " tcoached, outplayed, outworked." The loss dropped MSU to 5–3 on the season.

Early conference game

Rutgers

The Spartans next welcomed

Rutgers Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College, and was a ...

to Breslin Center on December 8 for the Big Ten opener. Michigan State led throughout the game, but was never able to pull away as Rutgers seemed to answer every MSU run. Cassius Winston led all scorers with 23 points and added seven assists and three steals. Gabe Brown started for injured Rocket Watts and scored 14 points while Xavier Tillman also scored 14. The Spartans pulled away at the end to win 77–65 and move to 1–0 in the Big Ten and 6–3 on the season.

Non-conference game

Oakland

After a week off for finals, the Spartans played

Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay A ...

Little Caesars Arena Little Caesars Arena is a multi-purpose arena in Midtown Detroit. Opened on September 5, 2017, the arena, which cost $862.9 million to construct, replaced Joe Louis Arena and The Palace of Auburn Hills as the home of the Detroit Red Wings of th ...

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...

on December 14. MSU struggled again from three-point range, shooting only 31%, but had no problems with Oakland overall. MSU limited Oakland to 26% shooting from the field and led throughout. The Spartans led by 24 at the half and cruised for an easy 72–29 win. Only Xavier Tillman scored in double figures for the Spartans, scoring 10, while 12 other Spartans scored in the game. Cassuis Winston scored only nine points making only three of 13 shots, but added four assists. Tillman added 13 rebounds in the game. Rocket Watts missed the game with a leg injury that was considered to be minor. The win moved MSU to 7–3 on the season.

Second early conference game

Northwestern

MSU next traveled to face their second early-season Big Ten foe, Northwestern on December 18. With every other Big Ten road team losing in the early season games, MSU looked to avoid the early trend. MSU led throughout, but every time they looked to put the game away, Northwestern would narrow the lead. MSU turned the ball over 16 times, but Cassius Winston scored 21 points and Xavier Tillman added 15 as the Spartans held on for a 77–71 win. Tillman and Aaron Henry each grabbed 10 rebounds and MSU improved its three-point shooting, making 42.9%. The win moved MSU into sol possession of first place in the Big Ten with a 2–0 record and 8–3 overall.

Remaining non-conference games

Eastern Michigan

MSU returned home and out-of-conference to face

Eastern Michigan Eastern Michigan University (EMU, Eastern Michigan or simply Eastern), is a public research university in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Founded in 1849 as Michigan State Normal School, the school was the fourth normal school established in the United Sta ...

December 21. EMU, who was 9–1 on the season, was no match for the Spartans. MSU dominated the Eagles, limiting them to only 10% shooting from three and 23% overall. Meanwhile, the Spartans shot 50% from three as the Spartans ran EMU out of the gym. Cassius Winston scored 21 points and added seven assists. Aaron Henry added six assists and 12 points.

Foster Loyer Foster Loyer (born June 24, 1999) is an American college basketball player who has played for Michigan State of the Big Ten Conference and Davidson of the Atlantic 10 Conference (A-10). At the latter, he was a two-time second-team All-A-10 hon ...

scored a season-high 13 for the Spartans as MSU reached the 100-point mark for the second time on the season, winning 101–48. With the win, MSU's fourth straight, the Spartans moved to 9–3 on the season.

Western Michigan

After a week for Christmas break, the Spartans faced

Western Michigan West Michigan and Western Michigan are terms for an arbitrary region in the U.S. state of Michigan's Lower Peninsula. Most narrowly it refers to the Grand Rapids-Muskegon-Holland, Michigan, Holland area, and more broadly to most of the region a ...

on December 29. Cassius Winston did not play after suffering a knee bruise earlier in the week. Foster Loyer started in his stead and scored a career-high 16 points, making all four of his three-point shots as MSU pounded Western Michigan 95–62. Xavier Tillman and Aaron Henry each added 15 points for the Spartans who ended the non-conference schedule at 10–3. Rocket Watts made his first appearance in a game since the Duke loss and scored nine points in 12 minutes. Tom Izzo did state Winston not playing was mostly precautionary and did not expect him to miss any more games.

Remaining conference games

Illinois

MSU returned to Big Ten play to face

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

at Breslin Center on January 2, 2020. Cassius Winston returned to the lineup and MSU led from the start, leading by as many as 13 in the first half. Illinois was able to cut the lead to five at the half despite missing all 11 of their three-point shots as the Spartans led 35–30. The Spartan defense continued to play well in the second half, limiting Illinois to under 30% from the field and allowing only three made three point baskets. Meanwhile, Winston scored 21 points with six assists and four rebounds as the Spartans led by as many as 25 in the second half. Xavier Tillman scored 19 points and added seven rebounds and six assists as MSU cruised to an easy 76–56 win. Marcus Bingham Jr. failed to score for the Spartans, but grabbed 12 rebounds with five blocks and was praised for his defensive play on Illinois big men by Tom Izzo after the game. The win moved the Spartans to 11–3 on the season and to 3–0 in Big Ten play.

Michigan

The Spartans welcomed

to East Lansing on January 5 for a

Rivalry A rivalry is the state of two people or groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each participant o ...

game having beaten the Wolverine three times the prior year. MSU took an early lead and led throughout. Michigan kept the game close for most of the first half, helped by 13 MSU turnovers. However, Michigan could not contain Cassius Winston, as he scored a career-high 32 points and added nine assists on 11–19 shooting. The nine assists moved his career total over 800 making him the first Big Ten basketball player to ever record more than 1,600 points and 800 points in a career. MSU only led by 10 at the half, but pushed the lead to as many as 18 in the second half. Xavier Tillman played well, earning a

double-double In basketball, a double-double is a single-game performance in which a player accumulates ten or more in two of the following five statistical categories: points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocked shots. The first "double" in the term ...

with 20 points and 11 rebounds. MSU limited the Wolverines to under 22% from three and under 37% from the field as the game was never in doubt. The Spartans shot over 52% from the field and over 46% from three in the game. The win was the fourth straight by the Spartans over Michigan and the seventh straight win for MSU on the season. The win moved MSU to 4–0 in Big Ten play and 12–3 on the season.

Minnesota

Minnesota traveled to Breslin to play the Spartans on January 9. The Spartans again led through most of the first half, but Minnesota took the lead on a few occasions near the half. MSU went to the break leading 36–32. Cassius Winston came alive in the second half scoring 18 of his game-high 27 points in the half. Xavier Tillman notched 19 points and a career-high 16 rebounds as the duo led the Spartans to 74–58 win. Despite Minnesota's big man up front, the Spartans out-rebounded the Gophers 48–30 and held Minnesota to under 40% shooting in the game. The win marked the Spartans' eighth straight and moved them to 5–0 in Big Ten play and 13–3 on the season.

Purdue

MSU next headed on the road to

Purdue Purdue University is a public land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donated land and money ...

where they had not won since

2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...

. MSU played poorly and was blown out by the Boilermakers, trailing by 17 at the half and losing by 29. Cassius Winston led the Spartans with 10 points as MSU could only muster 42 points in the game. Winston also turned the ball over nine times as MSU struggled mightily. Rocket Watts added 10 points in the loss, but Tom Izzo was embarrassed by the performance. Izzo stated that it was "probably the worst beating I've taken as a coach". MSU only made two three-point baskets and shot just 35% from the field in the loss. The loss dropped the Spartans to 5–1 in conference and 13–4 overall, but the Spartans remained alone in first play in the Big Ten.

Wisconsin

Three days before the Spartans returned home to face

on January 17, the school announced that guard Kyle Ahrens would miss extended time as he looked to recover from a plethora of injuries. Michigan State did not need him against Wisconsin, as the Spartans continued to dominate at home, leading throughout and pushing the lead to over 20 at times. Cassius Winston only had six points and four rebounds, but that was enough to pass

for the Big Ten record in assists. Xavier Tillman scored 15 while Aaron Henry and Gabe Brown added 13. Rocket Watts added 11 in the easy win over the Badgers. The Spartans held Wisconsin under 36% from the field and only 21% from three in the win. Winston appeared to be pressing to set the record as he turned the ball over five times and struggled from the field. The 67–55 win moved MSU to 14–4 overall and 6–1 in Big Ten play as MSU remained alone in first place in the conference.

Indiana

After playing five of their first seven conference games on the road, the Spartans began a two-game road trip starting with

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...

on January 23. MSU started slowly, falling behind 20–8 early in the first half. MSU fought back, unlike it did against Purdue, and drew within seven at the half. The Spartans continued to narrow the lead in the second half and briefly took the lead before Indiana retook the lead and was able to hold off the Spartans. Cassius Winston led all scorers with 17, but struggled early. Aaron Henry added 12 points for the Spartans, but MSU turned the ball over 13 times as they lost 67–63. The road loss moved MSU into a first-place tie with Illinois atop the Big Ten. The loss left the Spartans at 14–5 overall and 6–2 in conference play. After the game, Tom Izzo vowed to make changes as he was unhappy with his team's play.

Minnesota

Staying on the road, the Spartans traveled to Minneapolis to face Minnesota on January 26. MSU starting lineup changed, as Tom Izzo had promised, with freshmen Rocket Watts and Malik Hall starting for sophomores Aaron Henry and Marcus Bingham. Both teams started slowly, but Minnesota missed many open looks as the Spartans took control of the game. Cassius Winston had 18 points and eight assists while Xavier Tillman notched a double double with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Minnesota trailed by double figures for most of the game and MSU won by 18, 70–52. MSU's defense suffocated the Gophers, limiting them to 17.9% from three and only 28% overall in the win. The win kept the Spartans in a first-place tie with Illinois at 7–2 and 15–5 overall.

Northwestern

The Spartans returned home to face last place Northwestern on January 29. Aaron Henry returned to the starting lineup, but struggled from the floor, not making a field goal until late in the second half. He did however have four steals and two assists. Despite this, the Spartans jumped to a big lead early in the first half behind Cassius Winston's 18 points and Xavier Tillman's 12 points, eight rebounds, and four assists. MSU led by as many as 13 in the first half. In the second half, MSU blew the Wildcats off the floor leading by as many as 36 in the easy win over Northwestern. Foster Loyer added 12 points on four three-pointers and MSU was able to rest many of their key players for large portions of the second half. The 79–50 win moved MSU a half game ahead of Illinois for the Big Ten lead at 8–2 in conference play and 16–5 overall.

Wisconsin

MSU returned to the road to play short-handed Wisconsin on February 1. On January 29, it was announced that the Badgers second-leading scorer, Kobe King, was leaving the program and that guard Brad Davison would be suspended for one game for a flagrant foul in Wisconsin's loss to Iowa on January 27. This did not seem to matter in the first half as the Badgers jumped out to an early double digit lead and looked to be on the brink of blowing out the Spartans. Trailing by 16 at the half, the Spartans mounted a vigorous comeback behind Cassius Winston's 23 points and Rocket Watts' 16 points, but Xavier Tillman missed several easy layups in the final minutes as the Spartans were unable to complete the comeback. Two Winston three-pointers at the end narrowed the gap to one as the Spartans lost 64–63. Tillman made only three of 15 shots in the game, but did add 14 rebounds. Gabe Brown did not start and only played three minutes due to illness. The loss left the Spartans tied with Illinois for first in the Big Ten at 8–3 and 16–6 overall.

Penn State

The Spartans returned home to face

Penn State #Redirect Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with campu ...

. The Nittany Lions had not beaten the Spartans at Breslin Center since 2009, but they started well. PSU shot over 40% from the field in the game and took a six-point lead to half time. Cassius Winston again played well, scoring a game-high 25 points, but no other Spartan reached double figures. MSU narrowed the lead in the second half as the teams exchanged leads. Penn State took a three-point lead with less than 15 seconds remaining, but Winston was fouled while making a running layup to narrow the lead to one. However, Winston missed the game-tying free throw and then missed a desperation three-pointer as the Spartans lost their second straight game 75–70. Thomas Kithier did not play in the game due to illness. MSU shot over 47% from the field in the game but turned the ball over 15 times. The loss dropped the Spartans to 8–4 in Big Ten play, 16-7 overall, and out of first place.

Michigan

MSU returned to the road to face rival Michigan on February 8. MSU trailed throughout the game and was never able to narrow the Michigan lead, losing 77–68. Cassius Winston had 20 points and Xavier Tillman scored 17, but only four other Spartans scored as MSU lost its third straight game. The loss moved MSU to 8–5 in Big Ten play and 16–8 overall.

Illinois

The Spartans then traveled to

Champaign Champaign ( ) is a city in Champaign County, Illinois, United States. The population was 88,302 at the 2020 census. It is the tenth-most populous municipality in Illinois and the fourth most populous city in Illinois outside the Chicago metropo ...

to face Illinois on February 11 having fallen out of the AP poll for the first time since the end of 2017. After struggling early in recent road tests, the Spartans jumped early on Illinois and led by 17 at the half. After pushing the lead to 20 early in the second half, the Illini fought their way back into the game and took the lead with a little more than five minutes left in the game. The Spartans, however, did not fold as they had done recently and exchanged leads with Illinois until Illini freshman big man Kofi Cockburn made two free throws with 20 seconds remaining to give Illinois the 69–68 leas. Cassius Winston then drove to the basket drawing three Illini defenders and his shot which may well have been a pass was rebounded and dunked home by Xavier Tillman with six seconds remaining. Illinois turned the ball over on their final possession as the Spartans broke their three-game losing streak. Rocket Watts exploded in the game for the Spartans, scoring 21 points on 14 shots in his return to the starting lineup. Tillman added 17 while Aaron Henry had 13 in the win. The win moved MSU to with 1.5 games of the conference lead with a 9–5 record and 17–8 overall.

Maryland

ESPN College Gameday came to East Lansing as MSU welcomed Big Ten leader

to town on February 15. The Spartans again started slow, trailing by as many as 15 in the first half, but narrowed the lead to eight at halftime. MSU then took control of the game and fought their way to a seven-point lead with just over three minutes remaining. However, MSU's defense, which had held Maryland guard

Anthony Cowan Jr. Anthony Cowan Jr. (born October 7, 1997) is an American professional basketball player and the team captain for Promitheas Patras of the Greek Basket League and the Basketball Champions League. He played college basketball for the Maryland Terrap ...

to two points in the second half, gave up four three-pointers on Maryland's next four possessions while the Spartans failed to score. Two free throws with little time remaining gave Maryland a 67–60 win and all but ended MSU's hopes for a conference championship. The loss moved MSU to 17–9 overall and 9–6 in Big Ten play, 2.5 games behind Maryland. MSU again struggled for scoring behind Xavier Tillman's 18 points and Cassius Winston's 14.

Nebraska

MSU returned to the road to play

Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwe ...

on February 20. Tom Izzo started walk-on Jack Hoiberg, son of Nebraska head coach

Fred Hoiberg Fredrick Kristian Hoiberg (born October 15, 1972) is an American college basketball coach and former player. He has served as the men's head basketball coach at the University of Nebraska since 2019. Hoiberg grew up in Ames, Iowa, and played coll ...

. MSU failed to pull away through most of the first half and only led by three at the half despite making nine three-pointers in the half. Turnovers were a major story for the Spartans who turned the ball over 12 times in the first half and 21 times in the game. However, Cassius Winston, despite five turnover, scored 23 points while Gabe Brown added 17 points on five three-pointers. Kyle Ahrens added 14 as the Spartans pulled away to win by 21, 86–65. Izzo decided on the drive to the arena to start Hoiberg and Fred Hoiberg said he appreciated the gesture. The win kept the Spartans in a tie for third place in the Big Ten at 10–6 and 18–9 overall.

Iowa

With four games remaining in the regular season and the Spartans clinging to hopes of a Big Ten title,

Iowa Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the ...

came to the Breslin Center on February 25 and dominated the first half, taking a 33–27 lead at the half. MSU's struggles in the half related to Xavier Tillman garnering two early fouls and playing only four minutes in the half. Additionally, Cassius Winston only scored one point in the half. Rocket Watts kept his team in the game scoring most of team-high 21 points in the first half. In the second half, Tillman solidified MSU's defense on Big Ten Player of the Year candidate

Luka Garza Luka H. Garza (born December 27, 1998) is an American-Bosnian professional basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association (NBA), on a two-way contract with the Iowa Wolves of the NBA G League. He played c ...

and added two blocks to set the MSU career block record. Winston also came alive in the second half, scoring 19 of his 20 points to bring the Spartans back into the game. Aaron Henry scored 12 of his 17 points in the second half as the Spartans rallied to win 78–70, marking the first time on the season that the Spartans had won after trailing at the half. The win kept the Spartans in second place still two games behind Maryland at 11–6 and 19–9 overall.

Maryland

The Spartans traveled to face Maryland on February 29. MSU jumped out to a 9–0 start and led throughout the first half. Maryland did tie the game halfway through the first half, but MSU again pulled away and, helped by a three-quarters court shot by Cassius Winston at the buzzer, and led by 11 at the half. The Spartans continued to dominate the second half, leading by double digits most of the way as MSU cruised to a 78–66 win over the Terrapins. Winston had 20 points and six assists while Rocket Watts added 13 and Malik Hall scored 16. Xavier Tillman added 14 points and 12 rebounds as the Spartans drew within one game of the conference lead with the win. The win moved the Spartans to 12–6 in conference and 20–9 overall, the school's ninth straight season with at least 20 wins.

Penn State

With two games remaining in the regular season, the Spartans traveled to face Penn State on March 3. MSU did not start well as Penn State dominated the first half making 10 of 17 three pointers and leading by as many as 19 in the half. The Spartans roared back in the second half, taking the lead less than five minutes in to the half. Xavier Tillman scored a career-high 23 points and added 14 rebounds. Rocket Watts added 18 points on 20 shots and Cassius Winston scored 14 as the Spartans came back to win 79–71. The Spartans shot over 53% from the field while limiting Penn State to under 34%. The Spartan defense also held the Nittany Lions to no made three-pointers (0 for 13) in the second half as they pulled away for the win. The win, combined with a Maryland loss, moved the Spartans into a first place tie in the conference at 13–6 and 21–9 overall.

Ohio State

In their final regular season game, the Spartans faced

at Breslin for Senior Day and with a chance to win a third straight Big Ten regular season championship. MSU jumped out to an early lead, leading by as many as 12 in the first half, but Ohio State was able to close the deficit to four before Xavier Tillman made a fall-away jumper as the first half expired to give MSU a 38–32 halftime lead. Cassius Winston, on his Senior Day, took over in the second half and scored a game-high 27 points and dished out six assists. Rocket Watts continued his strong play, scoring 19 points, while Tillman added 15 as the Spartans extended their lead to 20 with more than two minutes remaining in the game. MSU then substituted its seniors out of the game as Winston, Kyle Ahrens, and Connor George kissed the Spartan logo to cheers from the MSU crowd. MSU held on for the win, 80–69, securing their third straight Big Ten regular season championship, their 10th under Tom Izzo. The win moved the Spartans to 14–6 and 22–9 overall. The game ended up being the final game of the season for the Spartans.

Postseason

Big Ten tournament

Due to tie-breaking rules, the Spartans received the No. 2 seed in the Big Ten tournament. However, the tournament was canceled before the Spartans played their first game, due to ongoing concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic.

NCAA Tournament

Like the Big Ten tournament, the NCAA tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 outbreak in the United States.

Roster

Depth chart

Schedule and results

The Big Ten announced MSU's conference opponents on April 17, 2019. MSU participated in the

, the

, and the

Maui Invitational Tournament The Maui Invitational, currently known as the Maui Jim Maui Invitational, is an annual early-season college basketball tournament that takes place Thanksgiving (US), Thanksgiving week, normally in Lahaina, Hawaii, Lahaina, Hawaii, at the Lahaina ...

. Additionally, the Spartans participated in the Gavitt Tip-Off Games for the first time, playing

Big East The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletic conference that competes in NCAA Division I in ten men's sports and twelve women's sports. Headquartered in New York City, the eleven full-member schools are primarily located in Northeast and ...

opponent,

. It was expected that the Spartans would take an exhibition tour of

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

in late summer, but the school announced on June 17 that there would be no trip. , - !colspan=9 style=, Exhibition , - !colspan=9 style=, Regular season , - !colspan=9 style=, Big Ten tournament , - !colspan=9 style=, ''Canceled'' , - !colspan=9 style=, NCAA tournament , - !colspan=9 style=, ''Canceled'' , -

Player statistics

Source

Rankings

*Coaches did not release a week 2 poll

Awards and honors

In-season awards

Post-season awards

Xavier Tillman

* Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year * All-Big Ten Second Team * All-Big Ten Defensive Team *Academic All-American Second Team *USBWA All-District V Team

Rocket Watts

* All-Big Ten Freshman Team

Cassius Winston

* All-Big Ten First Team (unanimous coaches) * AP All-American Second Team *

All-American Second Team *

USBWA The United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) was founded in 1956 by National Collegiate Athletic Association director Walter Byers to serve the interests of journalists who cover college basketball. Scholarships The USBWA annually awar ...

All-American Second Team * NABC All-American Second Team * Consensus All-American Second Team *

Wooden Award The John R. Wooden Award is an award given annually to the most outstanding men's and women's college basketball players. The program consists of the men's and women's Player of the Year awards, the Legends of Coaching award, and recognizing the ...

Finalist *USBWA All-District V Team

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:2019-20 Michigan State Spartans Men's Basketball Team Michigan State Spartans men's basketball seasons

Michigan State Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the United States. It i ...