If you asked Michigan State basketball fans what they believed the Spartans’ record would be through six games with Kentucky and Arkansas games already in the rearview mirror, many of them would’ve told you 4-2 or 5-1. No one would’ve guessed that they’d beat both Arkansas and Kentucky seeing as they were touted as two of the most talented teams in the country.
However, Tom Izzo is a Hall of Famer for a reason, and he’s putting that title to work.
Izzo has led his team to a 6-0 start with two top-15 wins, and a chance at a third ranked victory on Thanksgiving Day down in Fort Myers, Fla., against No. 16 North Carolina.
Not many would have guessed that Michigan State and North Carolina would be meeting as a couple of undefeated squads in a potential NCAA Tournament-type game. Thursday matchup will be one of the most intriguing of the week, and it’s going to draw plenty of eyeballs.
Michigan State has dominated en route to its 6-0 start with double-digit wins over everyone but Arkansas, but the Spartans were still gelling as a fairly new roster together.
It hasn’t taken long for them to look like a legit Final Four contender, however.
And the secret to Michigan State’s early success is an unsurprising one: loyalty. Izzo said it after the Kentucky game, and his guys echoed the same sentiment: his players were loyal to him, so he’s going to respond with the same energy toward them. He could’ve gone to the portal for a million-dollar center or a pricey guard to complement Jeremy Fears Jr., but he decided to trust his guys, and they’ve responded by all improving drastically.
That loyalty and trust in his players to improve has paid off in a huge way with his returning stars.
- Fears has become one of the best point guards in the country, leading college basketball in assists. He’s also taken a nice step offensively.
- Jaxon Kohler might be the most improved big man in the Big Ten. He’s a threat to record a double-double every game, and he’s extended his range. He’s also a better defender.
- Carson Cooper looks like an entirely different player from when he first stepped foot on campus. Heck, he’s much better than he was a year ago. Coop is a defensive specialist who can rebound and has worked on his offensive game around the rim.
- Coen Carr is a much better all-around player. He defends at a high level, rebounds, gets out and runs, and he can now hit mid-to-long-range jumpers. A year ago, Izzo would have lost his mind if Carr attempted a three — now he’s hitting 1-2 every game.
The improvement in his core guys has been the difference. Every single one of the players who showed loyalty to him, and vice versa, has gotten leaps and bounds better.
So when everyone was doubting Izzo because he didn’t get the shiny new million-dollar toys in the transfer portal like some of the other blue bloods, he was working hard on his guys. He trusts the guys he recruited out of high school, and they’re repaying him with elite level play.
If we ever needed another reason to never doubt Izzo, this year’s team is it.