Spartan Reacts: Michigan State fans expect to return to the Final Four in the near future

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Being left out of the Final Four is never a comfortable feeling for Michigan State Spartans fans. That is due to the success that Tom Izzo has built — MSU fans expect a deep postseason run every year. So while four teams play for this year’s national championship, the MSU fan base is already looking to the future. With the help of SB Nation Reacts, we asked Spartans fans what they think about the team going forward.

Izzo, albeit somewhat reluctantly, has already shown interest in the transfer portal over the last few years, so it would make sense for the program to be active this offseason in search of key additions — especially given the fact that Michigan State is set to lose multiple contributors from the 2021-2022 team. An overwhelming majority of Michigan State fans expect MSU to not only add a player, but to add an impactful player.

On the other end of the spectrum, it is always important to keep the most talented players in the program. A year after losing three rotational players to the transfer portal in Rocket Watts, Thomas Kithier and Foster Loyer, as well as former walk-on Jack Hoiberg, there have already been a couple of MSU players who have entered their name in the transfer portal in 2022: freshman walk-on forward Peter Nwoke and former walk-on guard Davis Smith — who was on scholarship for the 2021-2022 season.

Neither player really factored into MSU’s rotation this past season, with Nwoke not appearing in a game, and Smith only playing a total of 20 minutes on the year.

Additionally, forward Gabe Brown, center Marcus Bingham Jr. and shooting guard Max Christie have entered their names into the 2022 NBA Draft.

While Brown and Bingham are likely to remain in the draft, Christie is maintaining his college eligibility, and it would not be surprising to see him to return to East Lansing for his sophomore season. With all of this said, Michigan State is expected to return the majority of its core rotation next season, and MSU fans don’t think any of the key players from this past season will transfer to another school.

The most important aspect of the offseason roster building is what the team will look like on the court next year and years to come. For most of his tenure, Izzo never went more than four years without a trip to the Final Four. It’s only been three years, and just two tournaments (with the 2020 event being canceled), since the Spartans last reached that stage, and fans don’t think it will take long to get back.

According to the survey, 28 percent of fans think MSU will reach the Final Four next season and 56 percent think the team will get back there in two-to-three seasons.

While Michigan State fans are looking to the future, they are still paying attention to this year’s Final Four as well. According to the survey, 39 percent of MSU fans want Villanova to win the national championship, followed by 25 percent who are cheering for Duke, the team that ended MSU’s season. Both North Carolina and Kansas grabbed 18 percent of the MSU fan base vote each.

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