Michigan State Basketball: 5 takeaways from monster win over Michigan

Not many expected a Michigan State basketball win over Michigan on Sunday, but the Spartans shocked the world. What did we learn?

On the same day Michigan celebrated its 1989 team and handed out ‘Shock the World’ t-shirts to all fans in attendance, undermanned Michigan State marched into the Crisler Center and beat the Wolverines, 77-70.

It was a ‘shock the world’ type of moment for Michigan State as the Spartans were without Josh Langford and Nick Ward, but that didn’t mean much for Cassius Winston, Kenny Goins, Matt McQuaid and Xavier Tillman. This team stepped up and picked up its most impressive win of the season and arguably the best Michigan win of Tom Izzo’s career — outside of the 114-63 thumping back in 2000.

What did we learn from the Spartans’ gutsy win over the Wolverines?

5. Defense is playing as well as any in the Big Ten

You don’t go on the road against the No. 7 team in the country with about 30 points per game of scoring on the bench due to injuries and win without a little defense.

Michigan State has made defense a point of pride in recent weeks and it showed on Sunday as the Spartans really locked down after Ignas Brazdeikis drove the baseline and slammed one in to give the Wolverines a six-point lead, 51-45. After that, the Spartans went on a 32-19 run to end the game and stifled Michigan offensively.

The Wolverines couldn’t get open shots and even some of their biggest makes — two late Jordan Poole 3-pointers — were heavily contested.

Tom Izzo has a team that can score 77 against a top-tier defensive team as well as hold his No. 7-ranked rival to 39 percent shooting from the floor on their home court. Not too shabby.