Michigan State Basketball: 3 takeaways from important win over Maryland

1. Tom Izzo has something to build on

Michigan State hasn’t won back-to-back games in over a month and while that’s a wild stat, that’s also an indication that his team has lacked confidence and momentum.

Tom Izzo has been looking for answers as he’s been stuck on the verge of breaking Bob Knight’s all-time wins record as a Big Ten head coach and he finally got the monkey off his back, breaking the record on Senior Day. It wasn’t easy despite building a 20-point lead on multiple occasions, but the Spartans cruised for the most part on Sunday and they showed that they can play at an elite level, just not in consistent stretches.

While it’s too late to “figure something out” and make changes, it could still be the start of a momentous stretch to end the year. Winning handily on Senior Day has to be a confidence boost for the veterans who had been struggling (along with Malik Hall who finished with 17).

Izzo saw his team hustling, fighting for rebounds (winning the battle 39-30), and playing solid defense in short bursts while also shooting well. He has something he can build on and this may be enough to instill some confidence heading into the Big Ten tourney.

Let’s see what this team can do in the coming week(s).