Michigan State Spartans NCAA Basketball News

The Big Ten was college basketball's best conference last season, and while it may not run away with that title in 2013-14, it's going to be awfully impressive once again.

Tom Izzo said Thursday he and Adreian Payne would attend tonight's annual Dick Vitale Gala benefiting the V Foundation at the Ritz Carlton in Sarasota, Fla.

Former Minnesota Gophers forward Trevor Mbakwe arrived Thursday at the doorstep of his dreams - the annual combine for the NBA draft's top prospects - after admittedly taking the long way around.

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.

Golden State Warriors' Draymond Green in action against the San Antonio Spurs during Game 4 of a Western Conference semifinal NBA basketball playoff series in Oakland, Calif., Sunday, May 12, 2013.

The votes are in, and 3,233 Michigan and Michigan State fans have selected the player from their teams - each others, or their own - that they would pick first if they had the option.

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

Collins, who left the Duke bench after 13 years to take over at Northwestern, will bring his Wildcats to PNC Arena Dec.

Jahii Carson was already getting an influx of solid weapons to work with next season but now it seems he'll have another sharpshooter in the fold with addition of Sai Tummala last week.

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.

Tom Izzo isn't wasting any time running possible lineups and rotations through his head now that Gary Harris and Adreian Payne are back in the fold for another season.

Michigan State coach Tom Izzo is mixing it up on the recruiting trails with his fellow future hall of fame coaches, wedging his way into the battle for the services of the best prospect in the Class of 2014, Jahlil Okafor .

MSU has had 13 players drafted in Tom Izzo's tenure, six of them in the first round.

Now that Spartan hoopsters Gary Harris and Adreian Payne have announced their intention to return to MSU next year, there is a lot of chatter about a 2013-2014 Final Four season.

Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green celebrates at the end of Game 6 against the Denver Nuggets on Thursday, May 2, 2013, in Oakland, Calif.

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.

Tom Izzo and Gary Harris are two reasons why Michigan State will yet again be a team to beat next year Streeter Lecka/Getty Images His presence in the paint will be missed, but thanks to the return of Adreian Payne, the Spartans will have muscle and finesse under the basket to alleviate pressure and compensate for Nix's departure.

It didn't take long for the decisions of Adreian Payne and Gary Harris to return for another season of college basketball to translate into All-American talk.

They say it's not official, but CBSSports.com's Gary Parrish and Jeff Goodman say Mitch McGary is good enough to make their preseason All-American team - whenever it's unveiled.