How have MSU’s first 13 games changed our expectations for this season?
Happy New Year, TOC Nation. Hope you all had a great holiday season. Hopefully you did not put on too much weight or get excessively drunk and tell off a family member. And if you did, just forget about that and think about college basketball instead. MSU has compiled an 11-2 record so far as we begin 2025, and that includes going 2-0 thus far in Big Ten games. The only losses have been against Kansas in the Champions Classic and against Memphis in the Maui Invitational; both of those games were competitive at least.
Back in early November, just before the season began, the whole TOC team shared our predictions for the season . Now it is time to look back on those predictions to see how they have aged and to see if any of us are going to drastically change our predictions based on what we have seen thus far.
MIKE:
New overall record prediction (31 games): This is the only thing I’ve been right about in all these predictions. I had MSU 11-2 going into New Year’s with a loss to Kansas and another in Maui. So I’m staying with 24-7.
New conference record prediction (20 games): Still going with 15-5.
New Big Ten Tournament seeding prediction: Still #3, although it seems like there could be a lot of parity and it’s hard to see two other teams being better than 15-5.
New BTT performance prediction: I had lose in the championship game; I think I’ll stay with that.
New NCAA Tournament performance prediction: Staying with elite 8
Preseason prediction to brag about: I wasn’t the only one who said it but Coen Carr for most improved and Jase Richardson for best freshman seem good so far.
Preseason prediction to eat crow about: Fidler as the top scorer. Should have given Akins more credit.
STEVE:
New overall record prediction (31 games): 23-8
New conference record prediction (20 games): 14-6
New Big Ten Tournament seeding prediction: 3
New BTT performance prediction: Semifinals
New NCAA Tournament performance prediction: Sweet 16
Preseason prediction to brag about: Maui invitational. Almost had it.
Preseason prediction to eat crow about: Booker being top scorer. He’s in the middle.
BRIAN:
New overall record prediction (31 games): 28-3
New conference record prediction (20 games): 19-1
New Big Ten Tournament seeding prediction: 1
New BTT performance prediction: Champions
New NCAA Tournament performance prediction: Champions
Preseason prediction to brag about: Carr as Most Improved
Preseason prediction to eat crow about: Not Beating Kansas in the Champions Classic
O:
New overall record prediction (31 games): I originally had 23-8, but I will improve it to 24-7.
New conference record prediction (20 games): 14-6 will be changed to 15-5.
New Big Ten Tournament seeding prediction: Was 3, now saying 1 or 2. Will come down to tiebreakers.
New BTT performance prediction: I think we get to the finals, then it just depends on matchups and fatigue, which probably favors us. So I guess I am saying I am predicting we win the BTT.
New NCAA Tournament performance prediction: I had said Elite 8, and I so want to just go ahead and say Final Four now, but I still want to see a few more conference games before I do that. For now, it stays as Elite 8.
Preseason prediction to brag about: My individual player predictions have been horrible, other than Kohler being in a three-way tie for leading blocks. I guess I was correct in predicting only 2 losses in non-con games.
Preseason prediction to eat crow about: So many to choose from. Got to be the prediction of losing to UConn in Maui.
What about you? How have your expectations and predictions changed?