Cole took over at his alma mater before the start of the 2017-18 season and is gradually building the Spartans back to contention after being the Big Ten’s cellar-dweller for each of the previous three seasons. Some would call Michigan State the conference’s surprise team thus far. Granted, the Spartans sit one game above .500 at 10-9-1, but the PairWise rankings have them 16th, meaning a strong second half could put them in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2012.
Source: Grand Forks Herald