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Michigan State Basketball: 5 reasons Spartans will win 2020 national title

By Connor Muldowney

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 31: Cassius Winston #5 of the Michigan State Spartans celebrate by cutting down the net after defeating the Duke Blue Devils in the East Regional game of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Capital One Arena on March 31, 2019 in Washington, DC. The Michigan State Spartans defeated the Duke Blue Devils with a score of 68 to 67. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 31: Cassius Winston #5 of the Michigan State Spartans celebrate by cutting down the net after defeating the Duke Blue Devils in the East Regional game of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Capital One Arena on March 31, 2019 in Washington, DC. The Michigan State Spartans defeated the Duke Blue Devils with a score of 68 to 67. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /
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CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – MARCH 15: Xavier Tillman #23 and Cassius Winston #5 of the Michigan State Spartans celebrate after beating the Ohio State Buckeyes 77-70 during the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Basketball Tournament at the United Center on March 15, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – MARCH 15: Xavier Tillman #23 and Cassius Winston #5 of the Michigan State Spartans celebrate after beating the Ohio State Buckeyes 77-70 during the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Basketball Tournament at the United Center on March 15, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /

3. No shortage of leaders, team chemistry

Teams that win national titles usually have good team chemistry and veteran leaders. Michigan State has both of those things.

If you watched the team last year, there wasn’t a closer knit group in the nation, it seemed. It’s the reason they were able to overcome injuries to Josh Langford, Kyle Ahrens and Nick Ward to not only win the Big Ten but to beat Duke and make a run to the Final Four.

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That chemistry is going to carry over with essentially the same team this season and a couple of good “team guys” as Tom Izzo called them in Rocket Watts and Malik Hall. Julius Marble also seems like someone who is going to embrace his role as a bench guy and contribute in the post when necessary.

And the leaders are everywhere.

Cassius Winston is a captain and one of the best leaders in the nation. He holds himself and everyone else accountable at all times. Josh Langford may not be playing but he’s also a captain and one of the best leaders on the team. Xavier Tillman grew into a leadership role last season and I could see Aaron Henry doing the same thing year.

Those four guys could all be captain-like figures, and that’s not even it.

Don’t forget Tum Tum Nairn is back on the bench as a grad assistant and he’s always got a positive mindset and he knows what it takes to win.

This team is built to lead.

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