After another heart-wrenching game, Michigan State basketball is back in the Elite Eight with a date with Auburn awaiting on Sunday evening after the Tigers beat Michigan.
The Spartans are back in Elite Eight for the first time since 2019.
Tom Izzo has hasn’t lost his fastball as the Spartans came from behind to beat Ole Miss 73-70 to advance to the Elite Eight with a chance to make his ninth Final Four.
What did we learn?
1. This team is clutch
Unlike previous teams under Tom Izzo, this team has the clutch gene and that’s what’s separates them from the rest in this NCAA Tournament. This is a team that continues to boa constrict teams down the stretch and that has led to this Elite Eight appearance.
If Michigan State can continue to wear teams down for the rest of the stretch, it might not have a team that can beat it.
We’ve seen this time and time again, no teams have been able to hang with the Spartans because of their depth.
2. It's time to quit the slow starts
Being down 8-10 points in the first half has grown to be a theme and that has to stop especially if the Spartans plan on being a Final Four team and potential national champion. They’re not going to get away with being down 8-10 against teams like Auburn, Florida, Duke, Tennessee, or Houston. That has to stop immediately.
On top of that, the poor offensive sets in the half court have been horrendous. They have to be better in the half court if they’re gonna have any chance of winning moving forward.
Michigan State has to stop running the shot clock out before taking shots. That is leading to these early deficits.
3. Tom Izzo still has it
Why did we ever doubt this man?
Tom Izzo has been so much better this whole season and he needs to be lauded for such.
He has been killing it with plays after timeouts and plays down the stretch. He has been working it in the second half. If Izzo can continue this play-calling down the stretch, there won’t be too many teams that will be able to stop the Spartans.
Michigan State is back in the Elite Eight because Izzo hasn’t lost his fastball like we all thought over the past five years, and that’s reassuring moving forward.