Why Michigan State Will Win the 2010-2011 Final Four National Championship

Assumptions: Kalin Lucas & Durrell Summers return for their Senior seasons, and Lucas has fully recovered from his injury. Players mentioned as leaving their respected schools stay in the NBA Draft instead of returning after not hiring an agent.

Over the last few days and after several more underclassmen from top basketball schools have declared for the NBA Draft, it is clear that Michigan State will have the best overall team in college basketball in 2010-2011 and will be crowned the 2011 National Champions. Not only does it look like Durrell Summers will decide to stay in school for his Senior year, star point guard Kalin Lucas will comeback for his last season in green and white. The Spartans are bringing in 4 top 150 rated recruits and have the #6 rated incoming recruiting class in the nation according to Rivals.com. They get a fierce shot blocker with extreme length and athletic ability in Adreian Payne (#20 overall recruit), and Mr. Basketball in Michigan and McDonalds All-American outside shooting threat in Kieth Appling (#34 overall recruit). Draymond Green, Chris Allen, Delvon Roe, Korie Lucious, and Derrick Nix are all improving and make this team flat out scary to deal with. They have lost Raymar Morgan who was a very productive starter, but have gained much more than they have lost coming into the 2010-2011 season.

MSU Benefits Greatly from Other Schools Losses
Michigan State looked like they were in for a dogfight with Purdue and Illinois in the Big Ten, but that no longer seems to be the case. Both teams will still put together good seasons and contend in the NCAA Tournament but have lost the heart and souls of their teams. Illinois has lost their leading scorer, assist man, and leader in steals all in Demetri McCamey who would have been leading a very talented Illinois team as they have a very solid recruiting class coming this year. Purdue is losing even more, as JuJuan Johnson and E'Twaun Moore take their combined averages of more than 31 points and 10 rebounds to the NBA leaving Robbie Hummel to try and piece together a solid senior year with a much younger and inexperienced team. Other losses for the conference that will benefit Michigan State include Evan Turner from Ohio State and Taylor Battle from Penn State. Outside the Big Ten there has been a surge in underclassmen leaving for the NBA, which will significantly change the quality of play for next year and allow many more Mid-Majors with experience to rise to the challenge along with big time programs that have been able to retain talent.

Izzo
The other obvious ingredient to the formula that will bring Michigan State a National Championship is head coach Tom Izzo. Year after year Izzo proves doubters wrong who count out Michigan State when it seems they have no chance of once again reaching the Final Four. When Izzo is able to retain talented Seniors, the sky is the limit (2000 National Championship might ring a bell). I can't see a hungrier and happier coach the the '10-'11 season to start than Tom Izzo.

Get ready East Lansing, you are going to need some extra police on the force next April.