Michigan State Basketball: 5 takeaways from dominant win over Wisconsin

Michigan State basketball needed a win over Wisconsin to get back to the Big Ten Tournament final, and it got a convincing one.

Getting back to the Big Ten Tournament finals for the first time in a few years wasn’t exactly tops on Michigan State’s to-do list following the regular season finale win over Michigan, but seeing how well the Spartans have played through two games has to be refreshing for Tom Izzo.

The Hall of Fame head coach came in with a mindset to get guys valuable reps while keeping his starters healthy and he’s done just that while cruising to the championship game on Sunday afternoon.

Michigan State dominated Wisconsin from start to finish, building a 27-10 lead early in the first half and then holding a double-digit advantage most of the way en route to a 12-point win.

What’d we learn from the Spartans’ semifinal win over Wisconsin?

5. Rebounding is key

When Michigan State builds comfortable leads and eventually hangs on to win by double-digits, it’s usually because of strong defense and rebounding. That was the case on Saturday.

Sure, Wisconsin missed its fair share of open jumpers and even some bunnies, but the Spartans didn’t allow many second-chance opportunities, out-rebounding Wisconsin 44-30.

It’s that rebounding dominance that led to a first-half double-digit lead and an eventual 12-point win. The Spartans handled the Badgers on the glass and didn’t look back. Ethan Happ, who has been one of the best rebounders in the Big Ten over his career, was held to just six boards as the Spartans crashed well, allowing 10 offensive rebounds.

Tightening up and holding opponents to single-digit offensive boards will be the next priority, but out-rebounding a team like Wisconsin by 14 is impressive.