Michigan State basketball can make Final Four with or without Nick Ward

Nick Ward has already been out over a week for Michigan State basketball, and the hope is he returns soon but this team can still reach a Final Four.

This Michigan State team rode to Ann Arbor determined. The Spartans had worked hard for the game, they were ready and they weren’t going to disappoint. After losing three straight games to their rival, the Michigan Wolverines, there was no way Cassius Winston and Co. were going to lose a fourth consecutive, even if they were down two of their three best players.

The win was not only impressive but eye-opening. It was a win that will bring up Michigan State as a serious contender, something that was written off once Nick Ward went down with his hand injury. After the win Sunday afternoon though, it all seems possible again. Why?

Well, of course, the narrative will change anytime you beat a top-10 team. Your team will be talked about. But what makes this team click? What makes them so good, even with all the injuries piling up? The answer is quite simple: Cassius Winston. This Michigan State team has a great collection of role players. They have a deep bench, any player can come in and contribute. But they are made even better due to Winston’s great play.

Losing Langford for the season hurt, but they were able to replace him because they still had the guy who made the engine chug. While just recently given the title of captain, Winston is the player, the person that elevates the team to their ceiling, which as of now, seems as high as any team in the NCAA.

Out of all the injuries this team can suffer, Winston is the one player who absolutely cannot get hurt. If he stays healthy, this team will keep moving along.

It also has a bunch of great “role players” if you’d even consider them that.

Kenny Goins routinely is the best rebounder on any team any given night. Matt McQuaid consistently locks down the opponent’s top perimeter scorer. Xavier Tillman has gone from a solid sixth man off the bench to a formidable starter, contributing through rebounding, scoring and defense.

The list goes on. Everyone on this team knows what their role is, and when Ward went down, they know how their role changed. It is like watching a well-oiled machine. As well as Tom Izzo doing some of his best work, with this team having a top offense and defense in the nation.

We know that this team controls its own destiny. It can win the conference, and hopefully by the Big Ten Tournament, will have Ward back playing. But if not, while some analysts don’t believe that Michigan State will go far in the tournament, I would argue otherwise.

To get to a Final Four, you need a few things. First, you have to be playing your best basketball come tournament time. Second, you have to have a coaching staff that will be able to scout well, and quickly, to put together a solid game plan no matter the team you’re playing. And finally, third, you need to have some luck — case in point: Michigan last year. They were talented no doubt, but not having to play a seed higher than a 6-seed until Villanova was luck that aided them along the way.

Michigan State no doubt has a coaching staff that can handle a run to the final four, with seven under Izzo. The question will be can they get some luck, and can this team continue the high level of play they are currently riding? That starts with Winston. If he can keep playing, with the insane amount of minutes he plays and all, this team will keep playing their best basketball whether Ward returns or not.

The rest of the regular season will be telling on whether they have the run in them. With Winston leading the way, chances are there’s no doubt especially with a No. 1 seed still in play. Now unless they get really lucky, I think the final four might be their cap without Ward.

But if Ward comes back, I firmly believe that this team will compete with anyone in the country, aside from Duke (if at full strength with Zion Williamson). I believe this team wants to get Izzo back to the Final Four — it has something to prove, injuries and all. When March Madness is upon us, this is a team to watch out for, with or without Ward.