When the #6 Michigan State Spartans head to Northwestern on Saturday, they’ll do so riding a 15 game winning streak=longest winning streak since the 1998-99 season, when they won 22 in a row before losing to Duke in the Final Four.
That was Tom Izzo’s fourth season at the helm in East Lansing, and the first of his six Final Fours. That team lost to the Wisconsin Badgers at the Kohl Center to open the Big Ten season, then started their phenomenal run at home versus the rival Michigan Wolverines.
This group dropped the season opening pair to the ACC traditional powers (North Carolina in the aircraft carrier game and Duke in the Coach K. milestone game) before starting the current streak that has seen them rocket from preseason after-thought to national top ten ranking.
Keith Appling’s sophomore surge and the steadiness of Valpo transfer Brandon Wood has a lot to do with it. And of course, freshman three/McDonald’s All-American Branden Dawson. Indeed this team has seen a lot of addition by subtraction, as they’ve started over with a fresh nucleus and improved team chemistry.
You don’t have Izzo constantly calling out Durrell Summers for his lack of effort (especially on the defensive end) in press conferences this year. State is no longer over-reliant on a post-Achilles injury Kalin Lucas (a great player, but nothing close to what he once was during his senior year) for scoring. And Delvon Roe was a true warrior to keep playing on those knees of his, but this year’s group has new, healthy legs to lean on. No doubt the weight of expectations hurt the 2011 team, who entered the college basketball season #2 in the nation. They never came close to living up to the hype.
Even though MSU is basketball royalty, this year’s group had minimal expectations, as this was considered a rebuilding year. They’ve already surpassed those expectations with a victory streak that includes a nice resume win at Gonzaga, and handing a dangerous Indiana team their first and only loss of the season.
Like most Izzo teams, they come to Evanston #1 with a bullet in the league for rebounding margin. They’re also third in scoring defense and fourth in scoring differential. They’re un-Izzo like in foul shooting though. The Spartans are towards the bottom half of the league in that department.
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