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Michigan State women's basketball fans finally received its home and away pairings for the 2026-2027 Big Ten conference season. The men's were announced by the league on May 12.The Spartans will once again face an 18-game schedule for the sixth-straight season and eight of the last nine dating back to 2018-2019. The conference implemented a 20-game schedule, the same as the men play each year, for the 2020-2021 season.The annual rivalry against Michigan results in the Spartans-Wolverines matchup being the only opponent MSU will face twice this season, playing both in Ann Arbor and East Lansing. The Spartans will look to reverse their fortunes next season after being swept by the Wolverines this past season. MSU will host Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Oregon, Penn State, Purdue, Washington, and Wisconsin at the Breslin Center this upcoming season.On the road, the Spartans will take on Illinois, Maryland, Nebraska, Northwestern, Ohio State, Rutgers, UCLA, and USC. The complete schedule with game dates and broadcast/streaming information will be announced at a later date.Last season, MSU went 23-9, advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament before falling to district site host Oklahoma. The Spartans earned a No. 5 seed, which was its highest seed since the 2015-2016 season. A late season slide in league play prevented the Spartans from hosting the initial weekend after being ranked inside the top-16 to open March. The opportunity to host would have helped increase the chances of making the program's first Sweet 16 appearance since 2009.MSU returns a pair of All-Big Ten honorees in graduate guard Theryn Hallock and redshirt-junior guard Kennedy Blair. The Spartans will look to replace several departed players, including former forward Grace VanSlooten who was drafted No. 39 overall in the WNBA Draft by the Seattle Storm this year (ninth pick of the third round). MSU was one of three Big Ten schools to have players drafted along with UCLA and OSU. VanSlooten was the first-ever Spartan taken by the Storm and seventh Big Ten player overall.
Incoming freshmen Ethan Taylor and Jasiah Jervis help lead Team USA in FIBA U18 AmeriCup.
Michigan State continues to add to its 2027 recruiting class following another strong weekend of official visits, as Colorado three-star tight end Ryan Pankey has committed to the Spartans. Pankey, who currently plays for Montrose High School in the Centennial State, was in East Lansing for his official visit during the weekend of June 5 through June 7. He will play under head coach Pat Fitzgerald, offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan, tight ends coach Brian Wozniak, assistant tight ends coach Jacob Lail and the rest of the MSU staff throughout his college career. Wozniak has built a strong relationship with Pankey. The tight end took a visit to Michigan State on April 11 to watch the Spartans compete in spring ball. During the contact period in April, Wozniak saw Pankey in Colorado on multiple occasions. MSU eventually offered Pankey a scholarship on May 23.According to the On3/Rivals Industry rankings, Pankey currently ranks as the No. 1,320 overall prospect, No. 73 tight end and No. 10 recruit in Colorado in the 2027 cycle. Meanwhile, Pankey ranks as the No. 1,361 overall prospect, No. 109 athlete and No. 10 recruit in the state of Colorado, per the 247Sports Composite rankings. In addition to Michigan State, Pankey received scholarship offers from Colorado State, Oregon State, Washington State, Navy, New Mexico State, San Diego State, UNLV, Wyoming, Kent State and others. He took an official visit to CSU from May 29 through May 31, and previously had official visits booked with WSU and OSU as well, but will no longer take those trips.With Pankey now in the group, MSU's 2027 class grows to 13 total scholarship commits. Pankey is the first tight end to pledge to the Spartans. Pankey joins four-star defensive end Ohimai Ozolu, three-star wide receiver Zach Forbish, three-star EDGE Lawrence Kanneh, three-star cornerback Cordaro Parham, three-star linebacker Henry Sakalas, three-star linebacker Matthew Brady, three-star quarterback Eli Stumpf, three-star safety Ty'ire Clark, three-star EDGE Jack Schuler, three-star running back Savior Owens, three-star offensive tackle Jack Carlson and three-star offensive linemen Grant Adloff.Michigan State also has a preferred walk-on commitment from 2027 wide receiver Brendan Fitzgerald, who is the son of head coach Pat Fitzgerald. While Pankey will focus on the offensive side of the ball at the college level, he is also a strong defender for the Red Hawks. As a junior in 2025, Pankey recorded an impressive 84 total tackles and 25 tackles for loss. He earned 2025 CHSAA 4A first-team All-State honors for his efforts. The 6-foot-6, 235-pound Pankey also plays basketball and baseball for Montrose High School.
Following an official visit over the weekend (June 5 through June 7), class of 2027 Texas wide receiver Zach Forbish has committed to Michigan State. https://www.instagram.com/p/DZTtRMitWoE/?igsh=MTN2MWU5ZHc3ODdmMQ==“It just feels like home,” Forbish told Spartans Illustrated about his commitment to MSU. “There’s nowhere else I’d rather be. Go Green!”The Lone Star High School (Frisco, Texas) wideout plans to play college football under head coach Pat Fitzgerald, offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan, wide receivers coach Courtney Hawkins, assistant wide receivers coach Dom Spalding and the rest of the MSU staff. Forbish becomes the third scholarship official visitor from the weekend of June 5 through June 7 to verbally pledge to the Spartans, joining three-star EDGE Lawrence Kanneh and three-star cornerback Cordaro Parham. Additionally, class of 2027 wide receiver Brendan Fitzgerald, who is the son of head coach Pat Fitzgerald, committed to the Spartans as a preferred walk-on on Saturday. Overall, MSU’s 2027 class now includes 12 total scholarship commits: Forbish, Kanneh, Parham, four-star defensive end Ohimai Ozolu, three-star linebacker Henry Sakalas, three-star linebacker Matthew Brady, three-star quarterback Eli Stumpf, three-star safety Ty'ire Clark, three-star EDGE Jack Schuler, three-star running back Savior Owens, three-star offensive tackle Jack Carlson and three-star offensive linemen Grant Adloff.The 6-foot-3, 193-pound Forbish recorded 42 catches for 900 yards (21.4 yards per catch) and 13 touchdowns as a junior in 2025. He helped lead the Rangers to a 15-1 record this past season. Forbish also runs track. He has recorded times of 10.95 seconds in the 100-meter dash and 22.10 seconds in the 200-meter sprint.Forbish has not yet been evaluated by recruiting services. He received additional scholar offers from Pittsburgh, Wisconsin, Connecticut, South Florida, North Texas, North Dakota State, Colorado State, Louisiana Tech, Jacksonville State, San Diego State, Texas State, Tulsa and UTEP.
Michigan State has received a commitment from priority Ohio 2027 three-star EDGE prospect Lawrence Kanneh. He is projected to play rush end for the Spartans. Kanneh currently attends Whitehall-Yearling High School in Whitehall, Ohio. He is currently in East Lansing for his official visit, which started on June 5 and runs through June 7. Once Kanneh arrives in East Lansing, the Columbus Ohio native will be coached by head coach Pat Fitzgerald, defensive coordinator Joe Rossi, rush ends coach Andrew Bindelglass, defensive line coach Winston DeLattiboudere III and the rest of the MSU staff.MSU identified Kanneh ahead of many other programs and became his first Power Four scholarship offer on May 13. The Spartan coaches visited Kanneh in Ohio as well. Virginia quickly followed suit with an offer on May 20, and Boise State offered on May 21. Other offers for Kanneh include Appalachian State, East Carolina, South Florida, Marshall, Toledo, Akron, Bowling Green, Kent State and Miami (OH).The 247Sports Composite rankings currently see Kanneh as the No. 855 overall recruit, No. 71 EDGE and No. 31 prospect in the state of Ohio in the 2027 cycle. On the other side of the coin, the On3/Rivals Industry rankings list Kanneh as the No. 1,232 overall prospect, No. 111 EDGE and No. 50 recruit in the Buckeye State.The 6-foot-3, 225-pound frame, length, athleticism and developmental upside are all traits that have the Spartan coaches excited about Kanneh. As a junior in 2025, Kanneh recorded 60 Tackles, 23 tackles for loss, 12.5 sacks, two pass break-ups and three forced fumbles. He received All-District honors and first-team CBL accolades. Kanneh is now the 11th recruit to join MSU's 2027 class. Other commits who have pledged to the Spartans thus far include four-star defensive end Ohimai Ozolu, three-star cornerback Cordaro Parham, three-star linebacker Henry Sakalas, three-star linebacker Matthew Brady, three-star quarterback Eli Stumpf, three-star safety Ty'ire Clark, three-star EDGE Jack Schuler, three-star running back Savior Owens, three-star offensive tackle Jack Carlson and three-star offensive linemen Grant Adloff.
Michigan State continues to add to its 2027 recruiting class following another strong weekend of official visits, as Colorado three-star tight end Ryan Pankey has committed to the Spartans. Pankey, who currently plays for Montrose High School in the Centennial State, was in East Lansing for his official visit during the weekend of June 5 through June 7. He will play under head coach Pat Fitzgerald, offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan, tight ends coach Brian Wozniak, assistant tight ends coach Jacob Lail and the rest of the MSU staff throughout his college career. Wozniak has built a strong relationship with Pankey. The tight end took a visit to Michigan State on April 11 to watch the Spartans compete in spring ball. During the contact period in April, Wozniak saw Pankey in Colorado on multiple occasions. MSU eventually offered Pankey a scholarship on May 23.According to the On3/Rivals Industry rankings, Pankey currently ranks as the No. 1,320 overall prospect, No. 73 tight end and No. 10 recruit in Colorado in the 2027 cycle. Meanwhile, Pankey ranks as the No. 1,361 overall prospect, No. 109 athlete and No. 10 recruit in the state of Colorado, per the 247Sports Composite rankings. In addition to Michigan State, Pankey received scholarship offers from Colorado State, Oregon State, Washington State, Navy, New Mexico State, San Diego State, UNLV, Wyoming, Kent State and others. He took an official visit to CSU from May 29 through May 31, and previously had official visits booked with WSU and OSU as well, but will no longer take those trips.With Pankey now in the group, MSU's 2027 class grows to 13 total scholarship commits. Pankey is the first tight end to pledge to the Spartans. Pankey joins four-star defensive end Ohimai Ozolu, three-star wide receiver Zach Forbish, three-star EDGE Lawrence Kanneh, three-star cornerback Cordaro Parham, three-star linebacker Henry Sakalas, three-star linebacker Matthew Brady, three-star quarterback Eli Stumpf, three-star safety Ty'ire Clark, three-star EDGE Jack Schuler, three-star running back Savior Owens, three-star offensive tackle Jack Carlson and three-star offensive linemen Grant Adloff.Michigan State also has a preferred walk-on commitment from 2027 wide receiver Brendan Fitzgerald, who is the son of head coach Pat Fitzgerald. While Pankey will focus on the offensive side of the ball at the college level, he is also a strong defender for the Red Hawks. As a junior in 2025, Pankey recorded an impressive 84 total tackles and 25 tackles for loss. He earned 2025 CHSAA 4A first-team All-State honors for his efforts. The 6-foot-6, 235-pound Pankey also plays basketball and baseball for Montrose High School.
Incoming freshmen Ethan Taylor and Jasiah Jervis help lead Team USA in FIBA U18 AmeriCup.
Sources tell Spartans Illustrated that the future of Spartan Ventures may be every bit as important to J Batt and Jon Palumbo as it is to MSU Athletics.
MSU is once again searching for a president while simultaneously debating the people tasked with overseeing the university itself
On Tuesday morning, the Michigan State hockey team added another talented recruit, as they seek to get over the hump and win their first NCAA Championship since 2007, while looking to "four-peat" as Big Ten Champions.Ethan Belchetz, a 6'5" 227-pound 2008-born forward - and projected 1st round pick in the upcoming 2026 NHL Draft - announced his commitment to the Spartans.https://www.instagram.com/p/DYPgEOWEVfl/?igsh=MWt5enU1aGgwZGMzMQ==Belchetz, an Oakville, Ontario native, played last season with the Windsor Spitfires in the Ontario Hockey League, registering 34 goals and 25 assists in 57 games played. Belchetz missed the Spitfires end of the regular season and playoffs with a broken clavicle suffered in early March. Belchetz joins MSU commits defensemen Chase Reid, forward Nikita Klepov, forward Brooks Rogowski (expected Fall 2027), defensemen Tommy Bleyl (expected Fall 2027), and forward Jack Hextall as players who have all been projected in NHL mock drafts to go in the first round.These players will join forward Cullen Potter (1st round 2025), forward Cayden Lindstrom (1st round 2024), forward Ryker Lee (1st round 2025), incoming freshman forward Mason West (1st round 2025), and incoming freshman goaltender Joshua Ravensbergen (1st round 2025) as first rounders all on the same roster.Belchetz is a left hand shot, and I would slot him somewhere in the top three lines as left wing - likely first or second line - with a center like Cullen Potter or Cayden Lindstrom beside him. Here is what scouts have said about Belchetz...Corey Pronman (The Athletic):"Belchetz was once thought of as a potential top-five pick due to his massive 6-foot-5 frame, hard elements and being able to score. He didn’t have a great season, though, and scouts have concerns about his pace."Scott Wheeler (The Athletic):"Belchetz is an extremely physically advanced winger who was the No. 1 pick in the 2024 OHL draft and was 6-foot-5 and over 220 pounds as a 16-year-old last season. He got people talking when he got off to a hot start to his rookie season with the Spitfires last year, picking up two points in his debut before a four-goal, six-point night in his third OHL game. He also had a solid tournament for gold medal-winning Canada White at U17s, though I did think he was less impactful in the higher-pace semifinal and final.He played well (without dominating) on a disappointing team at Hlinka, too, imposing himself at times on the puck and making some plays through the middle. After some dominant stretches to start this season, though, his production leveled off for the second year in a row, and then he broke his clavicle in early March, ending his season with the title-chasing Spits. In my live viewings in the early fall, I thought he looked better than Flyers first-rounder Jack Nesbitt on Windsor’s top line, and there was a lot of early excitement. He had NHL clubs drooling over his hulking frame, legit skill/scoring and developing playmaking and pace then, too. But following a quiet CHL USA Prospects Challenge, he hit a bit of a wall for a long stretch before the injury, finishing his season on a bit of a downspell.The continued development of his wall game, so that he's more focused on bumping players off the puck and making a quick play off the boards, will be critical in him realizing his potential. His feet can be a little heavy out of the blocks, and his stride can look a little clunky, but he can really get around the ice and drive the middle once he gets moving. And while some of his impact is driven by his sheer size and his ability to stay over pucks and drive into spots, he also has strong offensive tools, he handles well into congested areas, he's comfortable going to his backhand and he can really shoot the puck. When he's at his best, he looks like a force out there. Think Matthew Knies if it all comes together. Someone is going to make that bet fairly early, even if most softened on where they were on him in October/November. Before the injury, he was still on pace for 41 goals."
There's been a boat load of news from the Michigan State hockey program since its season ended
The Spartan hockey team looks to get over the hump in the NCAA Tournament
Michigan State continues to add to its 2027 recruiting class following another strong weekend of official visits, as Colorado three-star tight end Ryan Pankey has committed to the Spartans. Pankey, who currently plays for Montrose High School in the Centennial State, was in East Lansing for his official visit during the weekend of June 5 through June 7. He will play under head coach Pat Fitzgerald, offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan, tight ends coach Brian Wozniak, assistant tight ends coach Jacob Lail and the rest of the MSU staff throughout his college career. Wozniak has built a strong relationship with Pankey. The tight end took a visit to Michigan State on April 11 to watch the Spartans compete in spring ball. During the contact period in April, Wozniak saw Pankey in Colorado on multiple occasions. MSU eventually offered Pankey a scholarship on May 23.According to the On3/Rivals Industry rankings, Pankey currently ranks as the No. 1,320 overall prospect, No. 73 tight end and No. 10 recruit in Colorado in the 2027 cycle. Meanwhile, Pankey ranks as the No. 1,361 overall prospect, No. 109 athlete and No. 10 recruit in the state of Colorado, per the 247Sports Composite rankings. In addition to Michigan State, Pankey received scholarship offers from Colorado State, Oregon State, Washington State, Navy, New Mexico State, San Diego State, UNLV, Wyoming, Kent State and others. He took an official visit to CSU from May 29 through May 31, and previously had official visits booked with WSU and OSU as well, but will no longer take those trips.With Pankey now in the group, MSU's 2027 class grows to 13 total scholarship commits. Pankey is the first tight end to pledge to the Spartans. Pankey joins four-star defensive end Ohimai Ozolu, three-star wide receiver Zach Forbish, three-star EDGE Lawrence Kanneh, three-star cornerback Cordaro Parham, three-star linebacker Henry Sakalas, three-star linebacker Matthew Brady, three-star quarterback Eli Stumpf, three-star safety Ty'ire Clark, three-star EDGE Jack Schuler, three-star running back Savior Owens, three-star offensive tackle Jack Carlson and three-star offensive linemen Grant Adloff.Michigan State also has a preferred walk-on commitment from 2027 wide receiver Brendan Fitzgerald, who is the son of head coach Pat Fitzgerald. While Pankey will focus on the offensive side of the ball at the college level, he is also a strong defender for the Red Hawks. As a junior in 2025, Pankey recorded an impressive 84 total tackles and 25 tackles for loss. He earned 2025 CHSAA 4A first-team All-State honors for his efforts. The 6-foot-6, 235-pound Pankey also plays basketball and baseball for Montrose High School.
Following an official visit over the weekend (June 5 through June 7), class of 2027 Texas wide receiver Zach Forbish has committed to Michigan State. https://www.instagram.com/p/DZTtRMitWoE/?igsh=MTN2MWU5ZHc3ODdmMQ==“It just feels like home,” Forbish told Spartans Illustrated about his commitment to MSU. “There’s nowhere else I’d rather be. Go Green!”The Lone Star High School (Frisco, Texas) wideout plans to play college football under head coach Pat Fitzgerald, offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan, wide receivers coach Courtney Hawkins, assistant wide receivers coach Dom Spalding and the rest of the MSU staff. Forbish becomes the third scholarship official visitor from the weekend of June 5 through June 7 to verbally pledge to the Spartans, joining three-star EDGE Lawrence Kanneh and three-star cornerback Cordaro Parham. Additionally, class of 2027 wide receiver Brendan Fitzgerald, who is the son of head coach Pat Fitzgerald, committed to the Spartans as a preferred walk-on on Saturday. Overall, MSU’s 2027 class now includes 12 total scholarship commits: Forbish, Kanneh, Parham, four-star defensive end Ohimai Ozolu, three-star linebacker Henry Sakalas, three-star linebacker Matthew Brady, three-star quarterback Eli Stumpf, three-star safety Ty'ire Clark, three-star EDGE Jack Schuler, three-star running back Savior Owens, three-star offensive tackle Jack Carlson and three-star offensive linemen Grant Adloff.The 6-foot-3, 193-pound Forbish recorded 42 catches for 900 yards (21.4 yards per catch) and 13 touchdowns as a junior in 2025. He helped lead the Rangers to a 15-1 record this past season. Forbish also runs track. He has recorded times of 10.95 seconds in the 100-meter dash and 22.10 seconds in the 200-meter sprint.Forbish has not yet been evaluated by recruiting services. He received additional scholar offers from Pittsburgh, Wisconsin, Connecticut, South Florida, North Texas, North Dakota State, Colorado State, Louisiana Tech, Jacksonville State, San Diego State, Texas State, Tulsa and UTEP.
Michigan State has received a commitment from priority Ohio 2027 three-star EDGE prospect Lawrence Kanneh. He is projected to play rush end for the Spartans. Kanneh currently attends Whitehall-Yearling High School in Whitehall, Ohio. He is currently in East Lansing for his official visit, which started on June 5 and runs through June 7. Once Kanneh arrives in East Lansing, the Columbus Ohio native will be coached by head coach Pat Fitzgerald, defensive coordinator Joe Rossi, rush ends coach Andrew Bindelglass, defensive line coach Winston DeLattiboudere III and the rest of the MSU staff.MSU identified Kanneh ahead of many other programs and became his first Power Four scholarship offer on May 13. The Spartan coaches visited Kanneh in Ohio as well. Virginia quickly followed suit with an offer on May 20, and Boise State offered on May 21. Other offers for Kanneh include Appalachian State, East Carolina, South Florida, Marshall, Toledo, Akron, Bowling Green, Kent State and Miami (OH).The 247Sports Composite rankings currently see Kanneh as the No. 855 overall recruit, No. 71 EDGE and No. 31 prospect in the state of Ohio in the 2027 cycle. On the other side of the coin, the On3/Rivals Industry rankings list Kanneh as the No. 1,232 overall prospect, No. 111 EDGE and No. 50 recruit in the Buckeye State.The 6-foot-3, 225-pound frame, length, athleticism and developmental upside are all traits that have the Spartan coaches excited about Kanneh. As a junior in 2025, Kanneh recorded 60 Tackles, 23 tackles for loss, 12.5 sacks, two pass break-ups and three forced fumbles. He received All-District honors and first-team CBL accolades. Kanneh is now the 11th recruit to join MSU's 2027 class. Other commits who have pledged to the Spartans thus far include four-star defensive end Ohimai Ozolu, three-star cornerback Cordaro Parham, three-star linebacker Henry Sakalas, three-star linebacker Matthew Brady, three-star quarterback Eli Stumpf, three-star safety Ty'ire Clark, three-star EDGE Jack Schuler, three-star running back Savior Owens, three-star offensive tackle Jack Carlson and three-star offensive linemen Grant Adloff.
In the first two parts of this series we have taken a look at Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo's accomplishments in the Big Ten and in key March Madness performance measures such as total wins, Sweet 16s, Final Fours, wins as the lower seed, and wins on a two-day prep.The data presented clearly demonstrates Izzo's historical dominance. But as mentioned previously, not all NCAA Tournament paths are created equally. Fortunately, there are more advanced ways to level the playing field by looking at metrics that measure performance compared to expectation.In total, there are five performance-versus-expectation metrics that I tabulate for the NCAA Tournament. Two of these metrics are commonly used by others, two of them I created myself, and one is a simple accounting stat. PASE (performance against seed expectation):PASE is the "original" advanced NCAA Tournament metric. It measures the number of wins for each coach or team relative to the historical total number of wins per tournament for teams with a given seed. For example, No. 1 seeds have historically won 3.34 games per tournament since 1985. In order for a No. 1 seed to overachieve with a positive PASE score, they need to win four games and advance at least to the Final Four.PARIS (performance against round-independent seed):PARIS is a metric that I created that measures almost the same thing as PASE. The difference is that I consider the historical win percentage for each seed in each round separately and not for the tournament as a whole. PAD (performance against exact seed differential):PAD is a variation on PARIS that I created which takes into account the seed of the opponent for each tournament game. For example, playing a No. 15 seed in the second round is quite a bit easier than facing a No. 2 seed. PAD accounts for this difference, while PASE and PARIS do not.PAKE (performance against Kenpom expectation):PAKE is the other commonly-used metric that is similar to my PAD metric. PAKE accounts for the true strength of each opponent in each tournament game, regardless of seed, based on Kenpom efficiencies. However, reliable Kenpom data - and therefore this metric - only goes back in time as far as 2002.Chalk (+/-)This is a simple accounting stat that measures the total number of games won by a coach or team relative to the situation where the higher seeds win all tournament games up to the Final Four rounds. Chalk and PASE give similar information.In order to get a sense of the range and distribution of the PASE metric, Figure 1 gives the current PASE score for all 720 coaches who have appeared in an NCAA Tournament game since 1979 sorted from high to low.Figure 1: PASE metric for all NCAA Tournament coaches from 1979 through 2026The values range from +17.10 down to -8.58. Moreover, note that the highest data point are the far left of the figure sticks up considerably farther than even the second place coach.That data point at the far left belongs to Tom Izzo.Izzo's current PASE value of +17.10 is a full 4.54 points ahead of the coach in second place (Louisville legend Denny Crum) and 5.57 points ahead of Rick Pitino (who has coached at Providence, Kentucky, Louisville, and Saint John's) the active coach with the next highest score.Izzo's current score is not only the top score of 2026. It is also the highest score recorded by any coach at any point in the history of the NCAA Tournament. Duke legend Mike Krzyewski had a PASE of +16.05 following his National Championship in 2001 but retired after the 2022 season with a PASE of +11.63. Crum maxed out in 1998 with a PASE of +14.33. Pitino's PASE has been as high as +13.68 after the 2015 season. John Calipari reached a maximum of +11.49 in 2019 and Roy Williams was at +11.29 after winning a title in 2017. Billy Donovan had a PASE of +10.58 in 2014 before moving on to the NBA.Villanova legend Rollie Massimino has a PASE of +10.76 in 1989 and John Beilein had his PASE as high as +10.87 in 2018. Former Michigan coach Steve Fisher had a PASE of +10.09 in 1994 with a team full of ineligible players. No other coach in history has topped a PASE of +10 at any point in their career.The story is the same for most of the other metrics. Tom Izzo also owns the all-time best score in my PARIS metric (+9.89), PAD metric (+9.86) as well as the Chalk metric (+14). The only other coach in history with a double-digit Chalk score is Massimino (+12). The next highest active coaches are UConn's Danny Hurley and Oregon's Dana Altman with +7.The only metric where Izzo does not currently own first place is the PAKE metric. Izzo's PAKE of +5.83 is currently third place behind Syracuse's Jim Boeheim (+6.79) and Roy Williams (+6.26). The next highest active coach is Hurley at +5.01.But keep in mind that my tabulated PAKE only goes back to 2002. So even when Izzo's national title and first three Final Fours are not considered, he is still in the top three all time for performance relative to Kenpom efficiency.Beyond simply the raw numbers, the metrics can be compared in unique ways. For example, the PARIS and PAD metrics have certain mathematical properties which allow us to extract some additional interesting information. Specifically, the PARIS metric compares performance per round to the historically average performance for every team of the same seed in that round. The PAD metric is very similar, but it references the specific seed of each opponent and is therefore a more accurate measure of the true difficultly of each tournament gameBecause of this difference, when each team's PAD score is subtracted from its PARIS score, the value represents the amount of "luck" that a team or coach has had in the opponents that they have faced relative to average. Positive luck means that coach has drawn an easier than average set of tournament paths. This effect is best shown below in Figure 2.Figure 2: Comparison of NCAA Tournament luck (as measured by the difference between PARIS and PAD) and true NCAA tournament performance relative to expectation (PAD).Figure 2 compares the "luck score" (PAD subtracted from PARIS) to the PAD metric, which is indicative of the "true" performance versus expectation in NCAA Tournament play. Figure 1 includes data from all 720 head coaches who have appeared on the sidelines of at least one NCAA Tournament game. The vast majority of these data points are clustered near the origin. However, several notable coaches appear in the area outside of this middle region. Each coach's position on the graph gives information about the relative impact of "luck" on their tournament performance relative to expectation.The upper right-hand corner of the graph highlights coaches with both positive PAD and luck. In other words, on average, these coaches have been both lucky and good. Most notable in this section of the graph are Krzyzewski, Beilein, Boeheim, UConn's Jim Calhoun, Dusty May and the all-time king of NCAA Tournament luck, former Florida coach Bill Donovan. Donovan's example helps to illustrate the meaning of the luck metric. A No. 15 seed has defeated a No. 2 seed in the first round a total of 11 times in Tournament history. Naturally, this upset will usually favor the remaining teams in that half of the bracket, as the nominally "strong" No. 2 seed has been eliminated. While at Florida, Billy Donovan benefited from this type of upset of a No.2 seed in both the 2012 tournament (as a No. 7 seed) and in the 2013 tournament (as a No. 3 seed).While Donovan certainly enjoyed a lot of tournament success, his performance relative to expectation was certainly padded later in his career due to some fortunate upsets in his part of the bracket. Similarly, Krzyewski, Beilein, and Boeheim have been similarly "lucky" compared to the average NCAA Tournament coach. The lower right-hand corner of the graph is home to coaches who have been successful relative to expectation despite some below-average tournament luck. The notable coaches here are Roy Williams, Maryland's Gary Williams, Sean Miller, Rick Majerus, Chris Beard and Rollie Massimino.Tom Izzo's position in Figure 2 is relatively unique. Not only is his PAD score significantly larger than any other coach in history, Izzo also accomplished accomplished this feat with historically average luck.Figure 2 also identifies the most unlucky coach as all time, Arizona's Lute Olson. He had his share of big wins and terrible losses, but in a total of 73 tournament games, Olson only faced six opponents which were more than one seed line below the "chalk" value for that round. By comparison, Donovan faced 15 opponents more than one seed line below the "chalk" value in just 47 NCAA Tournament games. Dusty May already has three such opponents in just 15 total games.The upper left-hand side of the figure displays coaches who have had below average performance relative to expectation, but who have been a bit lucky with their tournament draws. The notable coaches here are Bob Huggins and Bill Self.Figure 2 also highlights some of the biggest underachievers in tournament history on the far left side of the graph. Virginia's Tony Bennett has the third lowest PAD (-4.22) and second lowest PASE (-8.50) on record, but he was slightly lucky on balance.Rick Barnes (PAD of -4.81), Gene Keady (-4.21), and Jamie Dixon (-3.35) are the other notable coaches who historically bring up the rear in tournament performance relative to expectation.For the final comparison for today, Figure 3 compares the PAKE metric to the PAD metric, as calculated since 2002.Figure 3: Comparison of the PAKE metric to the PAD metric since 2002 for all NCAA Tournament coaches.As expected, these two metrics are closely correlated. Both metrics are attempting to measure the number of actual wins compared to the number of expected tournament wins.PAKE measures expected tournament wins based on the victory probability derived from Kenpom efficiency data (which correlates very strongly to Las Vegas betting lines). The seeds of the teams do not factor in at all. This is likely the most accurate way to measure performance versus expectation, but the data set is limited.PAD measures expected tournament wins based on the historical data correlating win probability to the combinations of seeds playing in each game. In a perfect world - where seeding is an accurate reflection of teams' strength - PAD and PAKE would be perfected correlated.Most of the data points in Figure 3 fall on or near the trendline. What is interesting about Figure 3 are the coaches whose data deviates noticeably from that line. Izzo, for example, has a higher PAD score than his PAKE score. Mark Few and Bo Ryan similarly appear above the trendline in Figure 3, while Boeheim, Roy Williams, and Self all fall below the line.I interpret this deviation as related to the accuracy of the seeding by the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee. If a coach has a lower PAD than PAKE (below the line in Figure 3), that implies that a coach has fewer expected wins than is implied based on the seed combinations. This suggests that a coach, historically, has been given a higher seed than they deserve. Boeheim, Roy Williams, and Self are the notable coaches in this part of the figure.The opposite is also true. If a coach has a higher PAD than PAKE (above the line) that coach's team, on average, has been better than their seeds imply (and/or their opponents have, on average, been worse). In other words, on average, that coach has been historically under-seeded. Coaches Izzo, Few, and Ryan fall into this category. In part this helps explain how Izzo was able to overachieve so frequently. More often than not, his Spartan teams have been given too low of a seed. According to Figure 3, the difference between Izzo's PAD and PAKE is roughly 2.0. However, as Figure 2 shows, Izzo's PAD is well over 2.0 points ahead of the coach with the next highest value. Even if this potential correction is taken into account, Tom Izzo is still the best NCAA Tournament coach of all time, and he isn't done yet.PREVIOUS: PART ONEPREVIOUS: PART TWO
In Part One of this three-part series, we reviewed some of Michigan State head basketball coach Tom Izzo's many records and accolades in the Big Ten. In addition, we counted up and summarized his win totals and accomplishments in each round of the NCAA Tournament.While the raw numbers are impressive, they only tell a part of the story. Not all NCAA Tournament paths are the same. It is significantly easier to advance in the tournament as a high seed and harder as a lower seed.Izzo has shown that he can do both.Another record that he currently holds is the total number of tournament wins as the lower seed (17). The only other coaches in history with more than 10 "seed upset wins" are former Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim (15), Arizona's Lute Olson (11), and Villanova legend Rollie Massimino (11). The active coach with the next highest number of upset wins is Gonzaga's Mark Few with nine.To put this into perspective, Izzo has as many or more upset wins in the NCAA Tournament than several other legendary coaches have total tournament games played as the lower seed. This includes Duke's Mike Krzyewski (12 total games as the underdog out of 132 total games), Roy Williams (15), Rick Pitino (17), John Calipari (17), Bill Self (9), Florida's Billy Donovan (9), North Carolina's Dean Smith (8), just to name a few.Figure 1 below visualizes this performance by plotting the winning percentages for roughly the top 50 NCAA Tournament coaches of all time. This group loosely contains all coaches with at least 20 tournament wins in the modern era, or active coaches with at least 10 wins.The x-axis shows the winning percentage for each coach as the seed favorite. The y-axis shows the winning percentage for each coach as the underdog. The numbers in parentheses give the total number of tournament games each coach has played as either the favorite or the underdog.Figure 1: Winning percentages for the top 56 all-time NCAA tournament coaches divided up by wins as the favorite (x-axis) and as the underdog (y-axis). The numbers in parentheses give the total number of tournament games each coach has played as either the favorite or the underdog.The green square in Figure 1 maps out the area where Izzo has a better win percentage both as the favorite and as the underdog. Only 14 total coaches fall outside of this area.There are only eight total coaches in this group that have a better win percentage as the favorite than Izzo and only four have played more than eight games as the higher seed. Izzo has coached in 52 games as the higher seed.The four coaches with that higher volume are UConn's Boddy Hurley (16-2 as the favorite), Louisville legend Denny Crum (28-4), Utah and St. Louis' Rick Majerus (14-2), and former West Virginia and Michigan coach John Beilein (17-3). These coaches all edge Tom Izzo's 44-8 record and 84.6% win percentage as a favorite.Note that Chris Beard (7-0), Brad Stevens (6-0), Massimino (7-0) are all undefeated as the higher seed, but on fairly low volume. Dusty May's 7-1 record as the favorite is also notable.There are a total of eight coaches in this group with a higher win percentage than Izzo as the underdog. Only three of them have more than 10 games as the lower seed. This list includes former Florida State coach Lennard Hamilton (6-5), former Xavier and Louisville coach Chris Mack (5-4), former Miami coach Jim Laranaga (9-8), former Ohio State coach Thad Matta (5-4), Donovan (6-3), and former Kansas and SMU coach Larry Brown (7-3).May (4-2) and Massimino (11-9) are the only coaches on this list with a better win percentage than Izzo as both the higher and lower seed.Izzo is also know for his skill in preparing his team for the second game of the weekend. His teams have a reputation for strong play after a "two-day prep." Quantitatively, Figure 2 below compares the performance of the same group of coaches as Figure 1. In this case the x-axis shows the win percentage on the first game of the weekend. The y-axis shows the win percentage for the second games where the two-day prep is needed.Figure 2: Winning percentages for the top 56 all-time NCAA tournament coaches divided up by wins on the first day of the weekend (x-axis) and wins on the second day (y-axis) where a two-day prep is needed. The numbers in parentheses give the total number of tournament games each coach has played as in both scenarios.On the first day of the weekend, Izzo's record of 35-17 (67%) is one of the few fairly pedestrian NCAA Tournament stats on his resume. It is good for just 26th place among this group of 56 coaches.But Figure 2 does bolster the idea that he has a special ability to prepare his team on a limited timeline. Only six coaches own a better second day win percentage then Tom Izzo at 26-9 (74%) and only three of those coaches have done it having played more than six games.The only high volume coaches on this list are Larranaga (7-2, 78%), Crum (18-4, 82%), and Krzyewski (44-14, 76%). The other three coaches are Iowa State's T.J. Otzelberger (3-1, 75%), Arizona's Tommy Llyod (5-0, 100%), and May (6-0, 100%). In both Figures 1 and 2, it is important to note that having a reasonable sample size is important. For example, after just his sixth year as a head coach, Tom Izzo was 16-3 (84%) in NCAA Tournament play with a National Title and two additional Final Fours and a Sweet 16 appearance in four tournaments.Over this span, he was 16-1 (94%) as the higher seed and 0-1 as the underdog. Izzo was also 8-3 (73%) on the first day of the weekend and a perfect 8-0 on the second day. With the exception of upset wins, Izzo had an even more impressive position on both figures with these statistics after just his sixth year at the helm in East Lansing.It is even more impressive that he accomplished these feats without the use of the transfer portal or an NIL sugar daddy. But it is also a reminder that the true proficiency of a head coach cannot be judged just on a handful of NCAA Tournament appearances. Technically, former UConn coach Kevin Ollie (7-1, .875) and former Kansas State coach Jerome Tang (3-1, 0.750) have two of the highest NCAA Tournament win percentages in history. Ollie has a National Title and Tang appeared in the Elite Eight. But both coaches were fired from their respective universities and neither can be considered as an elite college basketball coach. One or two NCAA Tournament runs are nice, but consistent NCAA Tournament performance is far more rare and far more special.PREVIOUS: PART ONENEXT: PART THREE (coming soon)
It has been over a month since Tom Izzo and the Michigan State Spartans were eliminated from the NCAA Tournament by the UConn Huskies in the Sweet 16. It will also be approximately six months before next year's team takes to the court again. With the commitment of Anton Bonke on April 22 and the departure of guard Divine Ugochukwu via the transfer portal, it will now likely be a quiet summer in East Lansing on the basketball front.But one thing that Spartan fans can count on is that one of the best coaches in the history of the game will once again be patrolling the sidelines next season in the Breslin Center. As summer beckons, it is a good time to look back and reflect on the amazing career - so far - of Tom Izzo.Today kicks off the first installment of a three-part series on Izzo's many achievements to date.First, we will review Izzo's dominance over the Big Ten Conference, as well as some of his raw statistics and accomplishments in the Big Dance.In part two of this series, we will take a closer look at two NCAA Tournament factors where Izzo especially shines: wins as the lower seed and wins on a two-day prep. Finally, in part three, we will dig into some more advanced NCAA Tournament performance metrics and learn exactly how unique Izzo's accomplishments are relative to expectation and relative to every coach in the modern history of the Big Dance.Big Ten DominanceTom Izzo is currently the winningest coach in the history of the Big Ten Conference. He will likely hold onto this title for the foreseeable future.As of the end of the 2026 season, he currently holds the record for both total wins at a Big Ten school (764) and total Big Ten conference wins (375).Izzo's total win count exceeds second place (Indiana legend Bob Knight, 659 wins) by over 100 wins and the next highest active coach (Matt Painter of Purdue, 501) by over 250 wins. Knight is also currently in second place in all-time Big Ten wins with 353. Painter is sitting at fourth place (251 wins) just behind his predecessor, Gene Keady (265 wins).In 2025, Izzo tied the record for the most regular season Big Ten Titles (11). Knight and Purdue's Ward Lambert (1919-1946) also both have 11 titles.Izzo also owns the record for the most Big Ten Tournament titles at six. Former Ohio State coach Thad Matta is in second place with four titles. Painter and former Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan each have three titles. NCAA Tournament PerformanceWhile Tom Izzo's dominance over Big Ten opponents is remarkable, college basketball fans across the country will always remember Izzo as "Mr. March" for his consistent excellence in the Big Dance.Going forward, note that all NCAA Tournament stats and metrics are from the current modern era of the tournament, which I define as starting in 1979. This is the first year when teams were seeded and it is was the first time the tournament included more than 32 teams. Most fans are aware of Izzo's current record of 28 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. Mark Few and Gonzaga are right on the Spartans' heels with 27 consecutive appearances. But the next closest active steak is Purdue with 11, thanks, in part, to the fact that Kansas and Bill Self's 2018 tournament appearance was vacated.But Izzo's March accomplishments go far beyond simple staying power.As of 2026, he has 61 NCAA Tournament wins, which places him in a three-way tie all time with former Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim and John Calipari, who has coaches at UMass, Memphis, Kentucky, and Arkansas. Only Duke legend Mike Krzyewski (101 wins) and North Carolina's Roy Williams (79) have more.Izzo's overall tournament record of 61-27 (0.693) places him clearly in the top 20 all-time in the modern era for coaches with more than two appearances.He has advanced to the Sweet 16 a total of 17 times which equates to 61% of his total tournament appearances. Izzo's 17 appearances is tied with Calipari and only behind Boeheim (19), Williams (19), and Krzyewski (26) in the modern era.Note that, since 1998, Coach K (18) is the only coach with more Sweet 16 appearances than Izzo. Furthermore, there are only eight other programs total that have more than 17 Sweet Sixteen appearances since 1979 (Duke, North Carolina, Kentucky, Kansas, Arizona, Louisville, UCLA, and Syracuse). Izzo has more Sweet 16 appearances than Washington, Minnesota, USC, Nebraska, Penn State, Rutgers, and Northwestern combined (15) since 1979.He has advanced to the Elite Eight a total of 11 times (39% of appearances). This total is tied with Self for fifth place behind current Saint John's coach Rick Pitino (12), Calipari (12), Williams (13), and Krzyewski (17). Self is the only other coach with at least 11 regional final appearances since 1998. As programs, only Duke, North Carolina, Kentucky, Kansas, and UConn have more Elite Eight appearances in the modern era than Izzo. He also has more Elite Eight appearances than half of the Big Ten combined.Izzo has been to the Final Four a total of eight times (29% of all appearances), which trails only Williams (nine) and Krzyewski (13). Only North Carolina, Duke, Kansas, and Kentucky, as programs, have more Final Fours in the modern era than Izzo. No other coach has more than seven Final Fours since 1998. Izzo also has at least twice as many Final Fours as all Big Ten teams in the modern era except UCLA, not counting vacated appearances.UP NEXT: PART TWO
Some initial thoughts on what Sheridan's offense might bring to MSU
The ins and outs of a critical, much needed win for the Spartans over the Eagles in double overtime.
Spartans jump out to 7-0 lead, ride dominant outing from Aidan Donovan into Wednesday matchup with Iowa in Omaha
The Spartans are trying to hold on to the last spot in the Big Ten Tournament in Omaha
The Spartans remain in search of traction as they approach the heart of conference play
Michigan State women's basketball fans finally received its home and away pairings for the 2026-2027 Big Ten conference season. The men's were announced by the league on May 12.The Spartans will once again face an 18-game schedule for the sixth-straight season and eight of the last nine dating back to 2018-2019. The conference implemented a 20-game schedule, the same as the men play each year, for the 2020-2021 season.The annual rivalry against Michigan results in the Spartans-Wolverines matchup being the only opponent MSU will face twice this season, playing both in Ann Arbor and East Lansing. The Spartans will look to reverse their fortunes next season after being swept by the Wolverines this past season. MSU will host Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Oregon, Penn State, Purdue, Washington, and Wisconsin at the Breslin Center this upcoming season.On the road, the Spartans will take on Illinois, Maryland, Nebraska, Northwestern, Ohio State, Rutgers, UCLA, and USC. The complete schedule with game dates and broadcast/streaming information will be announced at a later date.Last season, MSU went 23-9, advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament before falling to district site host Oklahoma. The Spartans earned a No. 5 seed, which was its highest seed since the 2015-2016 season. A late season slide in league play prevented the Spartans from hosting the initial weekend after being ranked inside the top-16 to open March. The opportunity to host would have helped increase the chances of making the program's first Sweet 16 appearance since 2009.MSU returns a pair of All-Big Ten honorees in graduate guard Theryn Hallock and redshirt-junior guard Kennedy Blair. The Spartans will look to replace several departed players, including former forward Grace VanSlooten who was drafted No. 39 overall in the WNBA Draft by the Seattle Storm this year (ninth pick of the third round). MSU was one of three Big Ten schools to have players drafted along with UCLA and OSU. VanSlooten was the first-ever Spartan taken by the Storm and seventh Big Ten player overall.
The MSU women's basketball team had a valiant effort against OU, but fell short. Full recap here.
The Spartans adapted, survived, and advanced
Incoming freshmen Ethan Taylor and Jasiah Jervis help lead Team USA in FIBA U18 AmeriCup.
MSU continues to build recruiting momentum following official visits. Learn more about Pankey.
Forbish’s commitment continues a successful weekend on the recruiting trail for the Spartans.
