Most early rankings have Michigan State among the top teams in the nation with a good chance of making a Final Four run.
That expectation is based on the fact the Spartans return one of the best backcourts in college basketball, something that was cemented on Wednesday as A.J. Hoggard and Jaden Akins both withdrew from the NBA Draft and will return to Michigan State for the 2023-24 season.
Hoggard, who will be a senior this fall, and Akins, who is entering his junior season, each had submitted their name as an early entry to the draft but both withdrew before Wednesday’s deadline, Michigan State confirmed.