| Mode: | Basketball |
| Year: | 1969–70 |
| Team: | Michigan State Spartans |
| Conference: | Big Ten Conference |
| Short Conf: | Big Ten |
| Record: | 9–15 |
| Conf Record: | 5–9 |
| Asst Coach1: | Robert Nordmann |
| Asst Coach2: | Matthew Aitch |
| Hc Year: | 1st |
| Captain: | James Gibbons |
| Captain2: | Lloyd Ward |
The 1969–70 Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team represented Michigan State University in the 1969–70 NCAA University Division men's basketball season as members of the Big Ten Conference. They played their home games at Jenison Fieldhouse in East Lansing, Michigan and were coached by Gus Ganakas in his first year as head coach of the Spartans. The Spartans finished the season 9–15, 5–9 in Big Ten play to finish in a three-way tie for sixth place.[1]
Prior to the season, on September 10, 1969, the Spartans head coach, John E. Benington suffered a heart attack and died after jogging at Jenison Fieldhouse at the age of 47.[2] Ganakas, an assistant under Benington, was promoted to head coach for the season.[2]
The Spartans finished the 1968–69 season 11–12, 6–8 in Big Ten play to finish in a three-way tie for fifth place.[3]
| - | 1969–70 Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No | Name | Pos | Year | Height | Pts | Reb |
| 11 | Lloyd Ward | G | SR | 5–11 | 7.4 | 2.1 |
| 12 | Tim Bograkos | G | JR | 6–1 | 3.1 | 0.9 |
| 13 | Gary Przybylo | G | SO | 6–1 | ||
| 15 | Ralph Simpson | F | SO | 6–4 | 29.0 | 10.4 |
| 21 | Rudy Benjamin | G | JR | 6–3 | 12.6 | 2.8 |
| 24 | Ronald Gutkowski | F | SO | 6–5 | 8.8 | 5.8 |
| 25 | Robert Gale | F | SR | 6–5 | 2.3 | 1.6 |
| 31 | Eddie Humphrey | G | JR | 6–2 | 1.3 | 0.3 |
| 32 | Steve Kirkpatrick | G | SR | 6–2 | 0.7 | 0.7 |
| 33 | Paul Dean | G | JR | 6–1 | 1.4 | 0.6 |
| 35 | Pat Miller | F | SO | 6–2 | 7.8 | 3.7 |
| 41 | James Gibbons | C | SR | 6–6 | 10.2 | 7.2 |
| 42 | Craig Larsen | C | SO | 6–9 | 0.1 | |
| 44 | Ron Binge | F | SR | 6–5 | 0.0 | |
| 45 | William Cohrs | C | SO | 6–6 | 0.7 | 0.6 |
|-!colspan=9 style=| Regular season