Michigan State basketball: 3 takeaways from massive win over No. 10 Illinois

1. This team still has a lot of fight left in it

Everyone counted them out after the loss at Minnesota, but the response against Illinois would tell us a lot about what this team has left in the tank. And clearly, they have a lot left.

Down by eight with under eight minutes left after Illinois hit what felt like a dagger 3-pointer, Michigan State responded with a 24-8 run to end the game and it was the seniors who stepped up. They looked like the leaders we all expected when the season began.

While we all expect more from the center position still, it's nice to see that the guards and Malik can pick this team up and when they face adversity, they don't fold.

A big knock on this team has been the fact that it's been mentally weak in tough situations, but it proved a lot of people, including myself, wrong on Saturday. Responding to that eight-point deficit late in the game to win by eight was massive.

This team could very well go on a run and this win could be the start.