The Final Four Is Not On The Schedule - A Podcast Discussing Michigan State Basketball.

September 18, 2026: This afternoon, Michigan State fans got get an answer on one of the biggest recruiting questions of the 2027 cycle when four-star point guard Antonio Pemberton announces his college commitment. The 6-foot-1 guard from Masters Academy International has emerged as one of the top point guards in the class, and Michigan State is one of eight finalists for his services. Pemberton’s decision comes just days after his visit to East Lansing for MSU’s Grind Week, making the timing particularly intriguing as Tom Izzo looked to add another high-level point guard to the Spartan pipeline. We’ll break down Pemberton’s game, his fit at Michigan State, what his commitment would mean for the 2027 class, and what the Spartans could potentially be building around him in the backcourt. We also looked beyond Pemberton and examine the next phase of Michigan State’s 2027 recruiting efforts. Four-star center Jaydn Jenkins was another prominent Grind Week visitor and remains a major target, while four-star big man Kamsi Awaka has recently entered the picture and has Michigan State among his finalists. With Izzo looking to add size and talent to the frontcourt, which of those two could emerge as the next significant commitment target for the Spartans? We’ll take a closer look at Jenkins and Awaka, their games and recruiting situations, and discuss how the Pemberton decision could shape what comes next for Michigan State. OUR AWESOME SPONSORS Every great podcast needs great sponsors. And we’re fortunate to have three that not only support the show, but also make it more fun for you guys. First up: Nudge Printing. If you’re looking for Michigan State gear, there are approximately 47,000 places on the internet willing to sell you a green T-shirt. But we recommend going with the Spartans who actually know what they’re doing. Nudge Printing is owned and operated by MSU alums Gabe and Brittany, right here in Michigan. They make some seriously good Spartan apparel, along with gear for a bunch of other schools. And, perhaps most importantly to you, Nudge supplies the apparel and gift cards for our listener contests. So when you win something on the show, there’s a pretty good chance Nudge is the reason you have something to put on your body or spend at the mall. Check them out, support a couple of fellow Spartans, and get yourself some new gear. Then there are The Brothers that just do Gutters. You know what gutters do? They keep water out of places where water shouldn't be. You know what we want Michigan State to do? Keep opposing players out of places where opposing players shouldn't be. That's why The Brothers are the official sponsor of our “player MSU needs to keep in the gutter” segment. It’s a match made in heaven. If your gutters are overflowing, clogged, damaged, or generally behaving like a Big Ten defense that has forgotten its assignments, call Kurt Stauffer and the Grand Rapids crew. The Brothers that just do Gutters — Grand Rapids They handle installation, repair, cleaning, maintenance and gutter guards throughout the Grand Rapids area. They also have you covered in Metro Detroit. The Brothers that just do Gutters — Metro Detroit Mention “Final Four” to get 10% off your gutter work. That's a much better discount than the one you'll get if you tell your contractor you finished second in your office pool. And finally, our friends at Squeegee Squad of Grand Rapids. We’ve decided that if two people are going to spend an entire basketball season arguing about who is better at cleaning the glass, we might as well have a professional window-cleaning company sponsor it. Thus, Squeegee Squad sponsors our “who cleans the glass best?” competition. They specialize in residential and commercial window cleaning, along with pressure and soft washing, gutter cleaning and other exterior cleaning services. Basically, if it's dirty and attached to your house or business, they probably have a way to make it look better. Squeegee Squad of Grand Rapids And if you'd like to let someone else handle the dirty work, you can request a free estimate here. We genuinely appreciate all three of these businesses for supporting the show. And yes, we realize there is a certain amount of irony in having a gutter company sponsor a segment about putting an opposing player in the gutter while a window-cleaning company sponsors a competition about cleaning the glass. We didn't plan it this perfectly. It just happened. #michiganstatebasketball #msuhoops #bigtenbasketball #antoniopemberton #jadynjenkins #kamsiawaka #highschoolrecruiting Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

September 17, 2026: Indiana is a good example of what can go wrong at a blue blood basketball school. Since losing Bobby Knight, Indiana has predominantly been stuck in a purgatory of sorts with only very brief moments of success. Recently, despite spending piles of money, the Hoosiers have struggled to win in any meaningful ways. Partly by hanging on to Mike Woodson for one year too many (looks like they missed the chance to hire Dusty May) and bizarre NIL spends for rosters that don’t work. Now under new coach Darien DeVries, the Hoosiers are hoping that by changing the composition of his team, the second year coach will start to bring Indiana basketball back to relevancy. Once again, Indiana went heavy in the portal spending and they went after what they desperately lacked last year - size and strength. Will the combo work this season or will the Hoosiers spend another year trying to get things to work in Bloomington? Are you looking for collegiate apparel including Spartan gear? There’s only one place we recommend you go to get your MSU T-shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts — Nudge Printing (https://www.nudgeprinting.com) Nudge is owned and operated by Gabe and Brittany, two MSU alums. The business is operated out of Michigan and screen prints super high quality products. They also have a large assortment of apparel for other schools as well as stickers for your wall, car, or computer. To enter the free drawing go to (https://nudgeprinting.com/win). If you have a home in Michigan you know the importance of clearing water efficiently away from your home off the roof. Unfortunately, the outdoor beauty of Michigan means you have to deal with leaves and debris that pile up in your gutters. Sometimes, those gutters also can’t keep up with the rain or leave puddles by your foundation. If you live in the Grand Rapids area (Muskegon to Saugatuck to Rockford to Lowell) contact Kurt Stauffer at the Brothers that Just Do Gutters. (https://www.brothersgutters.com/grand-rapids-mi/). If you’re anywhere in the metro Detroit area the Brothers have you covered too! (https://www.brothersgutters.com/metro-detroit-mi/). They are real professionals who will clean, repair, or replace your gutters and protect your home quickly and efficiently with friendly service. Mention Final Four to get 10% off your gutter work. Have you wondered why the world no longer looks clear out of your windows? Maybe you need a professional to clean them. There’s no better option for your window cleaning than your neighborhood window cleaners at the Squeegee Squad. They clean residential, commercial, and high rise windows. Also, if you need power washing on your house, the Squeegee Squad will treat it with kid gloves with their gentle wash that uses low pressure and surfactants. You won’t find a better team to care for the exterior or your house or business than the Squeegee Squad of Grand Rapids (https://squeegeesquad.com/locations/grand-rapids-mi/). Book your free estimate here (https://squeegeesquad.com/grand-rapids-mi/grand-rapids-mi-free-estimate/). Be sure to check out Fanduel Sportsbook for all your sports betting needs. They’ve got some great mobile tools and hundreds to ways to add some extra juice to your sport watching. You can find them at https://www.sportsbook.fanduel.com #MSUHoops #MichiganStateBasketball #MichiganState #bigtenbasketball #Indianahoosiers #indianabasketball Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

September 14, 2026: For a school without as much financial support as most in the Big Ten, Wisconsin coach Greg Gard has been very effective finding diamonds in the transfer rough. A lot of Wisconsin’s success over the past few years has been due to finding the right guy passed over by other high major programs and making it work. Gard has not only worked his magic in the portal but also changed the way Wisconsin plays. They have become a more volatile team by relying heavily on the 3 point shot and increasing their pace of play. But can he continue to strike gold year after year or is Wisconsin due for a down year? This season it looks like it will be a slightly less than year but maybe Gard can surprise us again. Are you looking for collegiate apparel including Spartan gear? There’s only one place we recommend you go to get your MSU T-shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts — Nudge Printing (https://www.nudgeprinting.com) Nudge is owned and operated by Gabe and Brittany, two MSU alums. The business is operated out of Michigan and screen prints super high quality products. They also have a large assortment of apparel for other schools as well as stickers for your wall, car, or computer. To enter the free drawing go to (https://nudgeprinting.com/win). If you have a home in Michigan you know the importance of clearing water efficiently away from your home off the roof. Unfortunately, the outdoor beauty of Michigan means you have to deal with leaves and debris that pile up in your gutters. Sometimes, those gutters also can’t keep up with the rain or leave puddles by your foundation. If you live in the Grand Rapids area (Muskegon to Saugatuck to Rockford to Lowell) contact Kurt Stauffer at the Brothers that Just Do Gutters. (https://www.brothersgutters.com/grand-rapids-mi/). If you’re anywhere in the metro Detroit area the Brothers have you covered too! (https://www.brothersgutters.com/metro-detroit-mi/). They are real professionals who will clean, repair, or replace your gutters and protect your home quickly and efficiently with friendly service. Mention Final Four to get 10% off your gutter work. Have you wondered why the world no longer looks clear out of your windows? Maybe you need a professional to clean them. There’s no better option for your window cleaning than your neighborhood window cleaners at the Squeegee Squad. They clean residential, commercial, and high rise windows. Also, if you need power washing on your house, the Squeegee Squad will treat it with kid gloves with their gentle wash that uses low pressure and surfactants. You won’t find a better team to care for the exterior or your house or business than the Squeegee Squad of Grand Rapids (https://squeegeesquad.com/locations/grand-rapids-mi/). Book your free estimate here (https://squeegeesquad.com/grand-rapids-mi/grand-rapids-mi-free-estimate/). Be sure to check out Fanduel Sportsbook for all your sports betting needs. They’ve got some great mobile tools and hundreds to ways to add some extra juice to your sport watching. You can find them at https://www.sportsbook.fanduel.com #MSUHoops #MichiganStateBasketball #MichiganState #bigtenbasketball #wisconsinBasketball #wisconsinbadgers Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

September 10, 2026: There’s good news and bad news for the Maryland Terrapins heading into this season. The good news is they probably can’t have a worse season than they did last year where they only managed to win only 4 league games. The bad news is they lost some of their brightest pieces from a disastrous team and will have to rely on some transfers to pick up the pieces. Buzz Williams has had success wherever he has coached so there is little reason to doubt he doesn’t get it done in College Park. However, a lot of the success for this year’s team will come down to health and the play of terrific interior player Pharrell Payne. Also, will the shooting help that Williams brought in translate to the court in the Big Ten? If so, this might be a team that finds its way onto the bubble and into the NCAA Tournament. Are you looking for collegiate apparel including Spartan gear? There’s only one place we recommend you go to get your MSU T-shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts — Nudge Printing (https://www.nudgeprinting.com) Nudge is owned and operated by Gabe and Brittany, two MSU alums. The business is operated out of Michigan and screen prints super high quality products. They also have a large assortment of apparel for other schools as well as stickers for your wall, car, or computer. To enter the free drawing go to (https://nudgeprinting.com/win). If you have a home in Michigan you know the importance of clearing water efficiently away from your home off the roof. Unfortunately, the outdoor beauty of Michigan means you have to deal with leaves and debris that pile up in your gutters. Sometimes, those gutters also can’t keep up with the rain or leave puddles by your foundation. If you live in the Grand Rapids area (Muskegon to Saugatuck to Rockford to Lowell) contact Kurt Stauffer at the Brothers that Just Do Gutters. (https://www.brothersgutters.com/grand-rapids-mi/). If you’re anywhere in the metro Detroit area the Brothers have you covered too! (https://www.brothersgutters.com/metro-detroit-mi/). They are real professionals who will clean, repair, or replace your gutters and protect your home quickly and efficiently with friendly service. Mention Final Four to get 10% off your gutter work. Have you wondered why the world no longer looks clear out of your windows? Maybe you need a professional to clean them. There’s no better option for your window cleaning than your neighborhood window cleaners at the Squeegee Squad. They clean residential, commercial, and high rise windows. Also, if you need power washing on your house, the Squeegee Squad will treat it with kid gloves with their gentle wash that uses low pressure and surfactants. You won’t find a better team to care for the exterior or your house or business than the Squeegee Squad of Grand Rapids (https://squeegeesquad.com/locations/grand-rapids-mi/). Book your free estimate here (https://squeegeesquad.com/grand-rapids-mi/grand-rapids-mi-free-estimate/). Be sure to check out Fanduel Sportsbook for all your sports betting needs. They’ve got some great mobile tools and hundreds to ways to add some extra juice to your sport watching. You can find them at https://www.sportsbook.fanduel.com #MSUHoops #MichiganStateBasketball #MichiganState #bigtenbasketball #marylandterrapins #marylandbasketball Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Sept 7, 2026: It’s hard to imagine a worse year for Dana Altman and his Ducks than last season as Oregon not only failed to make the NCAA Tournament, but barely won 5 games in the Big Ten. Riddled with injuries and transfers that just didn’t live up their billing left fans in Eugene disappointed for sure. Like many teams, Oregon has had a nearly complete overhaul of its roster. Three promising recruits and slew of transfers, the Ducks will look to turn things around. One has to wonder how much longer Altman has at Oregon if this season is a repeat of the last. Oregon is due for a good year and a return to the Tournament.  The question is - will this be the year? Are you looking for collegiate apparel including Spartan gear? There’s only one place we recommend you go to get your MSU T-shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts — Nudge Printing (https://www.nudgeprinting.com) Nudge is owned and operated by Gabe and Brittany, two MSU alums. The business is operated out of Michigan and screen prints super high quality products. They also have a large assortment of apparel for other schools as well as stickers for your wall, car, or computer. To enter the free drawing go to (https://nudgeprinting.com/win). If you have a home in Michigan you know the importance of clearing water efficiently away from your home off the roof. Unfortunately, the outdoor beauty of Michigan means you have to deal with leaves and debris that pile up in your gutters. Sometimes, those gutters also can’t keep up with the rain or leave puddles by your foundation. If you live in the Grand Rapids area (Muskegon to Saugatuck to Rockford to Lowell) contact Kurt Stauffer at the Brothers that Just Do Gutters. (https://www.brothersgutters.com/grand-rapids-mi/). If you’re anywhere in the metro Detroit area the Brothers have you covered too! (https://www.brothersgutters.com/metro-detroit-mi/). They are real professionals who will clean, repair, or replace your gutters and protect your home quickly and efficiently with friendly service. Mention Final Four to get 10% off your gutter work. Have you wondered why the world no longer looks clear out of your windows? Maybe you need a professional to clean them. There’s no better option for your window cleaning than your neighborhood window cleaners at the Squeegee Squad. They clean residential, commercial, and high rise windows. Also, if you need power washing on your house, the Squeegee Squad will treat it with kid gloves with their gentle wash that uses low pressure and surfactants. You won’t find a better team to care for the exterior or your house or business than the Squeegee Squad of Grand Rapids (https://squeegeesquad.com/locations/grand-rapids-mi/). Book your free estimate here (https://squeegeesquad.com/grand-rapids-mi/grand-rapids-mi-free-estimate/). Be sure to check out Fanduel Sportsbook for all your sports betting needs. They’ve got some great mobile tools and hundreds to ways to add some extra juice to your sport watching. You can find them at https://www.sportsbook.fanduel.com #MSUHoops #MichiganStateBasketball #MichiganState #bigtenbasketball #oregonbasketball #oregonducksbasketball Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.