Michigan State basketball: 3 takeaways from blowout win at Ohio State

1. This team is starting to heat up again

Prior to the road game against Illinois early in January, Michigan State was riding a seven-game winning streak and it looked like one of the top contenders for the Big Ten title.

And then it went on a slump.

The Spartans then lost five of the next seven games to drop to 14-9 overall and just .500 in conference play. It was a quick fall from grace for a team that looked like a Big Ten title contender just a few weeks earlier, but now it feels like the Spartans are getting back to that level.

No, the Big Ten title is not in play anymore since they are four games out of first place with only six games remaining. Sure, they’re still playing for something in the conference standings, though, as a double-bye in the Big Ten Tournament would be huge. There’s a decent chance Michigan State finishes in the top four in the standings for that to happen.

Michigan State has now won two in a row which is great for momentum heading into the final stretch of the season. If Michigan State goes 4-2 in the final six games, we might be talking about a No. 6 seed come NCAA Tournament time.

This elite defensive play needs to continue for that to happen.