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Michigan State Basketball: Piecing together all-2010s starting five

By Connor Muldowney

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MARCH 16: Gary Harris #14 and Adreian Payne #5 of the Michigan State Spartans celebrates after the 69-55 win over the Michigan Wolverines during the finals of the Big Ten Basketball Tournament at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on March 16, 2014 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MARCH 16: Gary Harris #14 and Adreian Payne #5 of the Michigan State Spartans celebrates after the 69-55 win over the Michigan Wolverines during the finals of the Big Ten Basketball Tournament at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on March 16, 2014 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
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EAST LANSING, MI – JANUARY 23: Denzel Valentine #45 of the Michigan State Spartans celebrates after defeating Maryland Terrapins 74- 65 at the Breslin Center on January 23, 2016 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)
EAST LANSING, MI – JANUARY 23: Denzel Valentine #45 of the Michigan State Spartans celebrates after defeating Maryland Terrapins 74- 65 at the Breslin Center on January 23, 2016 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images) /

A lot of people forget just how good Denzel Valentine was at Michigan State just because his career ended with an upset loss as the No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament to No. 15 seed Middle Tennessee.

While that loss can’t fall directly on him, Michigan State fans have chosen to forget that season even though it had the potential to be special. Denzel and Co. were dismantling teams left and right and they finished the regular season with a 29-5 overall record and many believed they should have been a No. 1 seed in March, but we all know what happened next.

Let’s not talk any more about that because people will start getting Giddy Potts flashbacks.

The Spartans still had a successful season and went to the Final Four the year before with Denzel and Travis Trice leading the way.

Like many guys on this list, Denzel started his career slow by averaging just 5.0 points as a freshman and 8.0 as a sophomore. How did he finish it? Better than expected with 14.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists as a junior and 19.2 points, 7.8 assists and 7.5 rebounds as a senior, becoming the runner-up for national player of the year.

Denzel was good — like really, really good.

Backups: Miles Bridges, Branden Dawson (could also double as PF)

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