Michigan State Basketball

The 2023 Final Four is the worst ever, but not because of a lack of blue-blood programs or TV-ratings sex appeal.

Sunday's chaos was remarkably on brand for this year's Big Ten, whose No. 2 and No. 12 teams are separated in the final standings by just two games.

The Spartans stopped the bleeding from their humiliating collapse at Iowa and came back to beat Nebraska after nearly getting chased out of the gym early. But it was more of the same for MSU — wild inconsistency.

In years past, a road date with Nebraska would be just what the doctor ordered for a struggling MSU. But that's just not the case anymore.

Rescheduling the game presents far more problems for the Spartans than incentives.

A growing segment of MSU fans are blaming the Spartans' recent run of putrid low-post play on the refs. But the numbers paint a completely different story.

MSU fans may be celebrating that they don't have a pro sports team to contend with for Ishbia's attention and money, but don't get too comfortable. Billionaires usually get what they want.

MSU AD Alan Haller confirmed that big changes are coming to the Big Ten. If that means expansion, we've identified some prime candidates to join the league.

The list includes two of Izzo's former (and favorite) players, two of his former assistants, one Spartan basketball legend from the Jud Heathcote era, one Lansing-area basketball great (with a Spartan-friendly surname), one up-and-comer from a mid-major, and one dark-horse candidate from another Power Five program.