Another major opportunity for Michigan State presented itself on Thursday evening as the Spartans faced a third ranked opponent on the season at the Fort Myers Tip-Off.
Michigan State battled back-and-forth with the Tar Heels in the first half, even falling behind by seven, but it responded with a quick 13-0 run to take control of the game, and the Spartans never looked back. They would go on to build a big lead in the final minutes, dominating after North Carolina cut it to three at 55-52. From that point on, Michigan State went on a 19-6 run. That was the game.
With the win, Michigan State picked up a third ranked win on the year, which is tied for the most in college basketball already this season.
Michigan State is actually one of just two teams in college basketball to have secured three ranked wins already, Michigan State Content on Twitter pointed out. The other is Arizona — some argue that the Wildcats are the best team in the country.
Who would have thought the Spartans would be 3-0 against Arkansas, Kentucky, and North Carolina ahead of a huge matchup with No. 4 Duke next Saturday. When these games were scheduled in the offseason, fans were worried that the young team would have a tough time navigating through the gauntlet, but they’ve responded with three big wins, and two by double figures.
Michigan State has taken a backseat in the headlines to rival Michigan this season because of the Wolverines’ utter dominance over the past three games, but it’s going to get even harder to ignore what Tom Izzo is doing in the month of November.
Not only is this one of just two teams to have three ranked wins already, but the Spartans are also off to their best start since the 2015-16 season.
Izzo challenged his team early this season, and they’ve responded by getting better each game and gelling at a rapid rate. We thought last year’s team was close, this year’s team may be even tighter.
And it’s showing on the court. They are playing as one unit — and it’s currently a wagon.