Michigan State basketball: 3 takeaways from huge win over No. 5 Illinois

Michigan State Basketball: 3 takeaways from massive win over No. 5 Illinois

Feb 23, 2021; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Michigan State Spartans guard Joshua Langford (1) and guard Rocket Watts (2) celebrate during the first half against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Jack Breslin Student Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports /

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Feb 23, 2021; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Michigan State Spartans forward Gabe Brown (44) dunks the ball during the second half against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Jack Breslin Student Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports /

1. NCAA Tournament hopes are far from dead

If you asked me after the Purdue game last week what the chances of Michigan State making the NCAA Tournament were, I would have told you less than five percent. I would have said that Michigan State would need to at the very least win six or all seven of their final games.

My tune is slowly changing.

Michigan State bounced back from that Purdue loss with a win at Indiana and then a monster home victory over No. 5 Illinois. That’s two big resume-building wins and there are no “bad losses” on Michigan State’s resume either, which helps.

Although the Spartans’ strength of schedule isn’t the greatest, that will change in the final couple of weeks and if Michigan State can use this huge win over Illinois as a confidence-booster and let it carry over into a win over Ohio State or Michigan or Indiana or Maryland — or all of the above — this team could be headed to the Big Dance.

Michigan State is currently 12-9 with some confidence and a newfound sense of fight for the tourney and I don’t know what Tom Izzo told them after the Purdue loss, but it worked.

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