Derrick Nix News

Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo speaks at The Salvation Army of Kalamazoo "Inspiring Youth To Dream" fundraising event Thursday evening at Valley Family Church in Portage.

The University of Texas basketball team announced on Thursday that it will play host to Michigan State on Dec.

The first and most obvious question Michigan State basketball faces next season will be replacing departed senior center Derrick Nix.

Before Derrick Nix received his bachelor's degree Saturday, 37 Michigan State basketball predecessors did the same under Tom Izzo.

The Michigan State Spartans' quest for a 2014 national championship ended the moment that they lost in the 2013 Sweet 16 to the Duke Blue Devils.

Now that we know who's staying and who's moving on to the next level, we can start fully analyzing the college basketball landscape for the 2013-14 season.

Rothstein put out a preseason Top 25 that had Michigan State ranked 16th when he thought Michigan State's Adreian Payne would be leaving the Spartans for the NBA.

With the deadline to enter the NBA Draft having come and gone at midnight on Sunday night - and with the last-minute decisions made by Adreian Payne, Andre Roberson and Isaiah Austin - we now have a full list of all the meaningful college hoopers that made the decision to jump to the league early.

Michigan State forward Adreian Payne lets out a yell after dunking the ball on the Duke Blue Devils during the Midwest Regional semifinals in Indianapolis last month.

Adreian Payne, the supremely gifted 6-foot-10 forward who spent the past month agonizing about whether to return for his senior season at MSU or make the jump to the NBA, announced tonight his decision to stay in school, confirming previous Yahoo! Sports and CBS Sports reports that cited anonymous sources.

Michigan State junior forward Adreian Payne will return for his senior season with the Spartans, according to a tweet from Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! According to the tweet, "Michigan State's Adreian Payne will return to school for his senior year, a source told Y! Sports.

Former Michigan State center Derrick Nix participated in the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament this month in order to showcase his skills in front of professional scouts.

The deadline is looming and Michigan State junior Adreian Payne still has not made a decision on whether he will return for his senior season or enter the NBA draft.

Isabelle Atkinson places a balloon and flowers at a makeshift memorial near the bombing site on Tuesday, April 16, 2013, in Boston, Massachusetts.

"I hope he does what's best for him, and we'll support him either way,'' Michigan State coach Tom Izzo.