Michigan State basketball: 5 questions the Spartans must answer in 2020

There are a few big questions Michigan State basketball needs to answer in 2020.

There weren’t many teams who suffered more from the cancellation of the NCAA Tournament than Michigan State basketball. As the regular season came to a close the Spartans were peaking, a March staple for head coach Tom Izzo, but they never got a chance to make a deep run in Cassius Winston‘s senior year.

While the question of what would have happened if the tournament was played will never be answered, there are others that Michigan State basketball needs to answer in 2020. Let’s take a look at five, beginning with the impact of the newest Spartans.

5. Michigan State basketball: How will the freshmen fit in?

Unlike other NCAA basketball blue bloods such as Duke and Kentucky, Michigan State usually doesn’t rely on one-and-done freshmen to carry the team. This isn’t from a lack of trying, but Izzo’s best teams usually rely on a mix of upperclassmen and freshmen to succeed.

The Spartans do have a pair of commits in four-star players A.J. Hoggard and Mady Sissoko, each of whom could contribute right away. Sissoko figures to be in the mix down low while Hoggard could compete for minutes succeeding Winston at the point.

There is also a chance that Michigan State could land five-star point guard Karim Mane, who would presumably start from the jump. Integrating these freshmen in with Michigan State’s core will be a key challenge for Izzo going forward.