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Michigan State Basketball: 5 Reasons Spartans Will Beat Oklahoma

By Connor Muldowney

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If you’ve been watching Michigan State basketball in the Tom Izzo era, you must know how successful the head coach has been in March during his 20-year tenure in East Lansing. Despite not having the best team in his time at MSU, Izzo knows that the 2014-15 version of his Spartans are fighters.

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With that being said, the Spartans have the tough task of facing Oklahoma in a Sweet 16 matchup that could send the Spartans home without a Final Four berth for the fifth straight campaign. However, this team won’t go down easily and it is much more talented than most give it credit for.

Let’s take a look at Michigan State’s five keys to victory.

5. Get Forbes Involved

The Cleveland State-transfer might just have the potential to be the best shooter Izzo has had in his coaching career, but more often than not, Forbes gets lost in the offense.

The team needs to continue to set off-ball screens for the shooting guard and get him the ball in his favorite spot — the corner. When Forbes scores in double figures this season, the Spartans are 10-3 with two of those losses against a top-five Wisconsin team and one at Notre Dame.

He shoots about 43 percent from downtown and will need to keep that up against this Oklahoma squad who is far more offensive-minded than Virginia was.

4. Trust Izzo

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    • Like I’ve been saying throughout this post, trust in Izzo. This guy has made 13 Sweet 16 appearances and four Final Fours. To say that he is Mr. March is somewhat of an understatement, but he’s hungry for a second national title.

    No one wants to win more than Izzo does in March and his players see that. In order for the Spartans to see the success they want in the Sweet 16, they will need to trust that Tom is going to give them everything they need in order to make a Final Four run.

    If you don’t trust Izzo, you’re probably not a Spartan.

    3. Let “Tum Tum” Facilitate

    Ever since Lourawls “Tum Tum” Nairn has entered the starting lineup, the Spartans have been a tough team to stop. In the final stretch of the season, Izzo inserted Tum Tum into the starting lineup to have Travis Trice come off the bench for scoring reasons.

    Ever since then, the point guard has been a great facilitator and one of the best leaders, even as a freshman, that the Spartans have had in recent memory.

    Michigan State needs to start the offense with the ball in Nairn’s hands and let him find the open man and slash to the basket and kick it out for an open three.

    2. Dawson Needs to be Motivated

    When Branden Dawson is motivated and playing hard, not one player in the country can slow him down. Heck, when he’s playing to his full potential, he looks like a first-round pick in the upcoming draft.

    BJ is a double-double machine and he needs to continue to be as such in the remaining stretch of the tourney in the Spartans want to slow the Sooners. Dawson is capable of 20 points and 10 rebounds on a nightly basis. It’s about time he shows that.

    1. Counter Buddy Hield with Travis Trice

    Mar 22, 2015; Charlotte, NC, USA; Michigan State Spartans guard Travis Trice (20) reacts during the second half against the Virginia Cavaliers in the third round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament at Time Warner Cable Arena. Michigan State won 60-54. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

    Oklahoma’s Buddy Hield is one of the best guards in the nation, averaging over 17 points per game and dominating Big 12 play. How can the Spartans beat Hield and the Sooners? Insert, Travis Trice.

    Everyone in the nation is taking notice to how well the senior point guard has been playing and during the tourney thus far, Trice averages 19 points, 4.5 assists and is shooting 6-13 from three-point land. Trice needs to be Trice in order for the Spartans to steal the show in the Sweet 16, and I think Trice has the potential to be a tournament superstar.

    Remember when Steph Curry made a name for himself in March? Well, Trice reminds me a lot of Curry.

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