Michigan State Basketball: 3 benchmarks to prepare for the NCAA Tournament

3. Win 2 games in the Big Ten Tournament

It's well documented that when it comes to Michigan State, the Big Ten Tournament is in no way, shape, or form, any indication on how successful the Spartans will be in the NCAA Tournament.

Teams that lost their only Big Ten Tournament game have gone on to the Final Four and teams that won the whole thing have lost in the first round. However, we need to see how this team performs when it's a win or go home scenario.

This team has the tendency to match their opponents' level whether it be a top-10 team or an NIT bubble team. Assuming this team is a 5-seed or worse, two games would put them in the semifinals. That means they would beat a team they were supposed to beat and a top 4-seed. This team can beat almost anyone when it plays smart, and can lose to anyone when they turn the ball over or have a disadvantageous lineup on the court.

These next two weeks are critical in turning around what has been a disappointing season so far.