College basketball predictions: 2023-24 Final Four and National Champion picks

National Runner-Up: Michigan State Spartans

Few coaches in the country are more well-regarded for their success in March than Michigan State's Tom Izzo, who leads all active coaches with eight trips to the Final Four. Izzo's teams can take a while to get going during the regular season but his style translates well to March, especially given his ability to adjust quickly on the second game of a tournament weekend.

The Spartans reached the Sweet 16 last year and lost a wild game to Kansas State at Madison Square Garden, providing valuable experience for a team that is bringing back almost all of its key pieces from that game. Only forward Joey Hauser is gone after exhausting his eligibility, leaving Michigan State with a deep team headlined by its terrific guards in Tyson Walker and A.J. Hoggard.

Izzo has also brought in a strong four-man recruiting class that should contribute immediately with big man Xavier Booker, who has rim protection potential that has drawn comparisons to former Spartan and current NBA star Jaren Jackson Jr, and guard Jeremy Fears displaying the most potential. Things may not go smoothly early on as Izzo has built his traditionally tough non-conference schedule and will take a while to settle on his ideal rotation but Michigan State will be better off for it in the long run.

It also seems like Izzo is due to make another Final Four run with his last appearance coming back in 2019, when the Spartans lost to Texas Tech on Saturday night. Michigan State makes it a round further this year, using their knowledge of Hunter Dickinson to knock off Kansas and get to the title game for the first time since 2009.