Heading into arguably the toughest stretch of the season in a couple of weeks, Michigan State basketball sits at 16-2 and has a lot to be proud of through the first two months of the year.
Tom Izzo has pieced together a roster of guys who like each other and who are coachable which he says is something he hasn't had in a few years. It feels like this team just plays well together which is why it's 12th in the nation in assists per game despite not hitting a healthy percentage of threes. These guys just feed off each other and play an unselfish brand of basketball.
That's also why the Spartans have just one double-digit scorer this season.
But with this tough stretch approaching, there's still work to be done. Michigan State might be red-hot right now, but all it takes is one lull and it goes from first in the conference to the middle of the pack.
What improvements must be made before this upcoming stretch?
1. Three-point shooting
In case you're not aware (I know you are), Michigan State is one of the worst teams in college basketball when it comes to 3-point shooting.
The Spartans are making just 28.8% of their shots from deep and that's something that if it continues along this path could derail Michigan State's season. We've seen teams that can't shoot get bounced early in March despite being some of the best at everything else. That's what Michigan State is.
If Michigan State wants to make a deep run in March and maneuver through this upcoming stretch without too many losses, it needs to improve its 3-point shooting drastically.
Even shooting somewhere in the 33-35 percent range over the next month would be massive. Any improvement helps, but making 35-40 percent over the next month could help lock up a Big Ten title.
And it's not like the shots aren't there.