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College basketball rankings: Michigan State replaced by Iowa in Top 25 And 1 after


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CBS Sports Graphic

Tom Izzo has coached in 23 consecutive NCAA Tournaments and will probably extend that streak to 24 straight next month. That’s the good news for Michigan State fans. But the bad news is the Spartans are really struggling as Selection Sunday approaches.

On Tuesday night, they lost again. Iowa whipped them 86-60.

“We just didn’t guard tonight,” Izzo told reporters after his Spartans allowed Iowa to shoot 43.1% from the field with Hawkeyes star Keegan Murray getting 28 points on 15 shots.

“Keegan is a special talent, and he does it in a special way,” Izzo added. “They’ve got a star. He is a star.”

Michigan State is now a dismal 1-5 in its past six games and trending in the wrong direction. The Spartans have gone from 17-4 overall and 8-2 in the Big Ten to 18-9 overall and 9-7 in the Big Ten in a span of 18 days. They’ve been replaced in Wednesday’s updated CBS Sports Top 25 And 1 daily college basketball rankings by the Iowa team that just beat them by 26 points while winning for the fifth time in six outings.

The problem for Michigan State now is that things aren’t going to get any easier. Next up is a home game with Purdue. Then comes road games at Michigan and Ohio State, followed by the regular-season finale with Maryland. The Spartans should be underdogs in three of those four contests, according to KenPom.com, so finishing above .500 in the Big Ten is no longer a given. And if the Spartans don’t turn things around fast, they could become a part of the bubble conversation for the second straight season.

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Top 25 And 1 rankings





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