As soon as the Duke vs. Michigan State game tipped off, it was apparent who the tougher, more physical, and more confident team was. The Spartans took command of the game early, throwing a haymaker out of the gates with an 11-2 lead which led to a quick Duke timeout.
The Blue Devils tried to piece together a furious comeback in the final minute to make the final score look much closer but Michigan State was the better team by a mile on Tuesday night.
And it’s because Tom Izzo was able to mold his team into a vintage Michigan State squad.
What do I mean by vintage Michigan State? Tougher, more physical, quicker, more energetic, and active on the glass. Duke did win the rebounding battle because of 18 (!!) offensive rebounds but Michigan State was consistently crashing the boards all night and it wore the Blue Devils down.
Michigan State forced 13 turnovers, held Duke to 20-for-60 shooting and 7-for-29 deep and the Spartans were able to lead for the entire 40 minutes despite the Blue Devils shooting 37 free throws — including two gifted flagrant fouls.
This was a vintage Michigan State basketball effort. This is the kind of basketball we saw from the Spartans a decade ago when Cassius Winston was leading the team but this defense may be even better than that. Holding Duke to 73 points when it shot 37 free throws just shows how much the No. 2 team struggled against Michigan State’s defense.
Izzo said Duke was the best team in college basketball and yet his team was able to control the pace, hold onto momentum, and respond to every single Blue Devil run.
Vintage Michigan State basketball returning is good for national title hopes.
Tom Izzo should be more than proud
The Spartans we saw in the preseason against UConn and Marquette didn’t resemble a tough, physical, vintage Michigan State basketball team. It was a far cry from what anyone expected from the preseason No. 6 Spartans and they were just flat-out out-toughed by both of their exhibition opponents.
Izzo must have sent them a message after that Marquette loss because the improvement we’ve seen since then has felt like night-and-day.
And it’s only been two weeks.
Michigan State’s turnaround has been defense-oriented, but the offense has looked much more effective in the half court because there are actually multiple scoring threats this year.
Izzo should be proud not only because his team dominated No. 2 Duke but also because it shook off a turbulent preseason that may have derailed other top contenders.
Man, vintage Michigan State basketball has been sorely missed.
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