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Can Michigan State Fans Get a Complete Season?

By Justin Nixon

September 30, 2019

GETTY IMAGES | JUSBALLOUT ILLUSTRATION

EXPECTATIONS are always high when it comes to Michigan State basketball, but this season is different. For the first time in Tom Izzo’s tenure as head coach (24 years) the Spartans are the preseason favorites. Surprisingly, when you think about it right? Even after winning the national championship in 2000, the Spartans still didn’t crack the No. 1 spot (ranked #3). Due to substantial changes around the college circuit, many publications have Sparty ranked No. 1 in the college basketball preseason top 25. Transfers, coaching changes, and lottery picks could be a reason.  MSU features 10 players returning from last season’s Final Four team, while top programs Duke, Kentucky, Kansas, and North Carolina feature high profile freshman.

 

In the era of the one-and-done rule, Izzo has never conformed or complained of his lack of 5-star talent entering the program, but does this explain his 1-8 record in Final Four play? Izzo is fifth all-time in Final Four appearances, which says a lot compared to the guys ahead of him. Coach Krzyzewski holds the record with 5 titles in 12 Final Fours, while coaching greats John Wooden (10 of 12), Dean Smith (2 of 11) and Roy Williams (3 of 9) follow. Izzo has been one of the most notably respected coaches in college basketball history, because he gets the best out of his players. You will never see a lack of effort from his teams, but why can’t he get it done!

 

Since 2000, the Spartans have been placed in college basketball’s preseason top 5 seven times, however two times they reached the Final Four and came up short. Izzo ball clubs have the tendency of finding their way into the Final Four no matter the seeding. That’s the beauty of MSU basketball, although, the frustration comes from the times they have the talent to win big and don’t.

Miles Bridges and Jaren Jackson Jr. |Photo: Gregory Shamus, Getty Images

For example, the 2017-18 year began with the Associated Press ranking MSU No. 2 in the college basketball rankings, and they lived up to the hype. The Spartans were 12-1 against non-conference opponents and 16-2 in conference play, which earned them their first Big Ten regular season title since 2012. Sophomore guard Cassius Winston was becoming one of the top guards in the country, while NBA prospects Miles Bridges and Jaren Jackson Jr. continued to rise up the mock drafts.

Cassius Winston |Photo: Dale G. Young, Detroit News

The Spartans began postseason play in the Big Ten Tournament as the No. 1 seed and lost in the semifinals to rivals Michigan for the second time on the season. The loss ended the Spartans chances of receiving a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, which was the first disappointment. The second disappointment was losing to an incompetent Syracuse team in the second round. This was probably the worst coached game of Izzo’s career. Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim ran his famous 2-3 zone, which caused the Spartans to shoot 26% (17/66) from the field and 22% (8/37) from 3-pt range and the Spartans failed for the bait. The 37 three-point attempts were the most by the Spartans in a single game in school history.

MSU basketball can be very unpredictable. The 2014-15 team entered the NCAA tournament with a 27-11 record, and played their way into the Final Four. Senior Travis Trice carried the 7th seed Spartans throughout the run, while averaging 19.0 PPG. The run was exciting, but no one picked the Spartans to win the whole thing! The Final Four featured No. 1 seeds Duke, Wisconsin, and Kentucky. The Spartans opponent was the Duke Blue Devils. Great!

Travis Trice and Tom Izzo |Photo: Bob Donnan, USA TODAY Sports

The Spartans showed a lot of confidence at the start of the game, marching out to a 14-6 lead in the first four minutes. Nevertheless, Duke quickly turned things around by locking down defensively. Forcing the Spartans to finish the game shooting 40% from the field and 35% from 3-pt range. 5-star freshmen Justise Winslow and Jahil Okafor for Duke both had monster performances. The Spartans just didn’t have enough talent to compete, which is usually the case.

Cassius Winston | Photo: Getty Images

Last season, the Spartans had a chance to win it all after upsetting the highly talented Duke Blue Devils in the Elite 8. MSU star Cassius Winston carried the team all year with his maturity and patience, but it ran out in the Final Four. The physicality of Texas Tech wore the Spartans down. Both teams were mirrors of each other defensively, but the Red Raiders were better. Their length and athleticism was a problem. Winston scored 16 points but made just 4 of 16 attempts as MSU shot 31.9% from the field.

This upcoming season will be one to remember. The Spartans have the talent to get Izzo his 2nd title. Senior guards Cassius Winston and Joshua Langford are back, while Junior Xavier Tillman will lead the front court. Sophomore guard Aaron Henry gained a lot of experience last season, while Langford sat out with an ankle injury. I expect him to have a great year. Highly recruited Freshman Mark “Rocket” Watts and Julius Marble should also be key contributors as Spartan nation looks to finally end a 20-year national championship drought.

Season begins Tuesday, Nov. 5, with MSU facing off with Kentucky in the State Farm Champions Classic at Madison Square Garden in New York.