Michigan State Basketball: Team peaking again at the right time
Michigan State basketball is peaking at the right time again. The last time the team looked this good, it was mid-season. Now it’s time for the Madness.
As the weather in East Lansing gets warmer, both students and fans know what’s right around the corner. March Madness. Head Coach Tom Izzo’s month. After all, he’s deserved such a title. One National Championship and seven Final Fours later, Izzo has the reputation of being a master of the NCAA Tournament.
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And just like usual, Izzo has his team peaking at the right time, just before the tourney. The Michigan State Spartans are on a four-game winning streak and have won eight of their last nine. They have two games remaining on their conference schedule. A match-up against the lowly Rutger Scarlet Knights and a rematch against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Breslin Center.
These are absolutely two games that the Spartans should win to take care of business. The possibility of a Big Ten Title looms close, which can have a huge effect on this team.
It seems like so long ago that these same Spartans were on a three-game losing streak – losing to the red-hot Iowa Hawkeyes then the Wisconsin Badgers and Nebraska Cornhuskers. It woke this team up and they’re finally starting to look like the team that held the No. 1 ranking in the country for so long.
They have come a long way from their hard-fought win against the Maryland Terrapins. They’re firmly back in the top-10 and even have a chance at a No. 1 seed in the tournament.
The team is led by their three senior starters who have all developed into players that can hold their own. Denzel Valentine, Bryn Forbes, and Matt Costello are all fantastic players and the heart and soul of this team.
The beauty of this team is their depth, however. Freshman Matt McQuaid and Deyonta Davis are key rotation cogs and Davis has shown NBA-talent throughout times in the season.
Perhaps one of the biggest pieces on the floor though has to the emergence of Eron Harris. Many weren’t sure what he could bring to this team, maybe not even him. As the season wore on, he’s finally learned to embrace his role as a defender.
No more are the wild, crazy shots on offense. Now, he’s learned to slow it down a bit and make better decisions. His contributions on the defensive side of the ball are already well-documented.
The greatest thing about Harris is how he’s learned to embrace his role on the team. He’s not asked to be the scorer on this team like he was at West Virginia. And when you have guys like Valentine, Forbes, and Costello to carry a team, that’s exactly what’s needed.
For Izzo and the team, the parts fit and they fit well.
The overall consensus of this team is that they know what time of year it is. Besides the freshman on this roster, every one of the players have been to a Final Four. Maybe the most important part though is that they know what time of the year it is.
The other day, Marvin Clark said "It’s around that time again where I can help make a spark and help us make a run" https://t.co/67HzKNbovP
— Mike Wilson (@ByMikeWilson) February 28, 2016
In a tourney where just one loss means you’re going home, that means the world. It’s how a ragtag bunch of guys could push through and make a Final Four last year. But for now, the team looks like they’re peaking at the right time. Valentine is looking like his old dominant self and the team is clicking around him.
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After early wins against talented teams like the Kansas Jayhawks and Louisville Cardinals, there was always a sense that this MSU team could be really special.
Izzo more on Final Four no longer the goal: "I'm sick of getting there and losing ... you gotta finish the job."
— Matt Charboneau (@mattcharboneau) October 20, 2015
But for a guy like Izzo, he’s been aiming for a National Championship all this time. While obviously getting to the Final Four is a feat in and of itself, winning it is a different beast. With only one championship under Izzo’s belt, this team is his next chance to get that elusive second one.