Beginning the season as an underdog is nothing new for Tom Izzo and Michigan State.
The Spartans were projected to finish fifth or sixth in the Big Ten standings after winning the conference by three games, and it felt like Izzo was getting disrespect that he didn’t deserve.
It made sense to an extent. Michigan State lost a handful of key players like Jaden Akins, Jase Richardson, and Tre Holloman, but it did return four core players.
Jaxon Kohler, Jeremy Fears Jr., Carson Cooper, and Coen Carr all returned with a Big Ten title under their belts, and that experience has proven to be more valuable than any “expert” expected before the season began. Heck, even after the win over Arkansas, some experts were hesitant to give Michigan State any credit. Apparently, the Spartans caught the Razorbacks at the right time.
Finally, people are starting to come around.
ESPN posted its latest power rankings on Thursday, and Michigan State made a hefty jump. The Spartans are now up to No. 8 in the ESPN power rankings, jumping from No. 21 in the previous edition of the power rankings. The rankings noted that a shooting touch like we saw against Kentucky could make Michigan State one of the more dangerous teams in the country.
Sitting at 4-0, and likely to be 6-0 before facing North Carolina on Thanksgiving, Michigan State should probably be a little higher, especially considering it has two top-15 wins, but I digress.
Many fans won’t forget the disrespect heaped onto Izzo and the Spartans to begin the season.