The men’s college basketball season is officially a month old. And after a whirlwind four-plus weeks of hoops that featured high-profile early-season tournaments and huge showdowns across the country, it’s a good time to take stock of the sport’s landscape. While several surprise teams have shined, a few big-name squads are off to sluggish starts that call into question the preseason hype that surrounded them. Here’s a look at five teams that have disappointed early and how likely a turnaround looks for each team.
Michigan State
After an ugly loss Tuesday night at Wisconsin, the Spartans became the first preseason top-five team to start 4–4 or worse in two decades. And while Michigan State has played a grueling schedule to this point, the start has still been incredibly disappointing, given where expectations were for this group in the preseason.
