College Basketball’s Elite Programs: A Look at Michigan State and St. John’s

Michigan State basketball has long been known for its elite recruiting and winning tradition. With eight Final Fours, 10 Big Ten regular-season titles, six Big Ten Tournament titles, and a national championship under Tom Izzo’s leadership, the Spartans have established themselves as a blue-blood program. But what sets them apart from other elite programs like Duke, North Carolina, Kansas, and Kentucky?

Coach Tom Izzo leading the Spartans

A recent graphic made the rounds on social media, highlighting the correlation between recruiting and winning in college basketball over the last 10 years. Michigan State found itself in elite company, just one step below the likes of Duke, Kansas, Arizona, North Carolina, and Kentucky.

“Izzo just wins.”

But the Spartans have fallen on hard times in recent years, which is why they’re not in that elite group with elite talent. If they hadn’t slipped up from 2020-24, they would be mentioned alongside the likes of Duke, Kansas, Arizona, North Carolina, and Kentucky.

On the other hand, St. John’s basketball is looking to return to the NCAA Tournament in the second year under head coach Rick Pitino. The Red Storm struggled out of the gates last season, with early losses to Michigan, Dayton, and Boston College eventually costing them a postseason berth.

Dunlap in action at Madison Square Garden

This season, Pitino is hoping to yield better results in the first two months and not put as much pressure on his team in Big East play to earn a bid. The Red Storm’s non-conference schedule is filled with challenging matchups, including a trip to the Bahamas for three games in the Baha Mar Hoops Challenge.

In other college basketball news, Oskar Palmquist, a former Rutgers basketball player, has signed with Borås Basket, a Swedish club that was once co-owned by an NBA legend. Palmquist becomes the second former Scarlet Knight to sign his professional contract overseas this offseason, joining former teammate Aundre Hyatt.

As the college basketball season approaches, it will be interesting to see how these elite programs fare. Will Michigan State return to its winning ways, and can St. John’s make a push for the NCAA Tournament? Only time will tell.