Michigan State Basketball: Keys to Spartans' 2012 NCAA Tournament Run

The Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team is a major player in the NCAA Tournament seemingly every year, and 2012 will be no different.

The Spartans earned a No. 1 seed in the big dance by virtue of a 24-7 regular-season record, a regular-season Big Ten title and a victory over No. 7 Ohio State in the Big Ten tournament championship game.

While the Spartans' players change on a yearly basis, the one constant has been head coach Tom Izzo.

He is one of the most decorated coaches in the sport as he has made six Final Fours and won the national championship in 2000.

Michigan State is always in the hunt, and it is fair to say that it is among the favorites to cut down the nets in a few weeks.

The Spartans are battle tested as they had tough games on a nightly basis in the Big Ten against teams like Ohio State, Michigan, Wisconsin and Indiana.

Because of that, they will be ready for anything that is thrown their way in the month of March.

Thanks to a great mix of talent on experience in terms of the players and the coaching staff, Michigan State will be a popular pick to go far this year.

Here is everything you need to know about the Spartans' pursuit of another national championship.

Superstars Who Must Shine

The Spartans are a team that relies on contributions throughout the lineup, but there are certainly a couple of players who must be better than the rest in order for Michigan State to go on another deep run.

They don't have a ton of stars—it is very obvious who makes the Spartans go.

Draymond Green

Not only is he unquestionably Michigan State's best player, but forward Draymond Green is one of the most indispensable players in all of college basketball.

The stout forward does a little bit of everything for the Spartans as he leads them in scoring (16.2 PPG), rebounding (10.3 RPG) and steals (1.5 SPG), and is second in assists (3.5 APG).

It is fair to say that no player in the nation is as versatile as Green.

He is capable of scoring the basketball in the paint, but he is also the team's best three-point shooter and a strong free-throw shooter as well.

Everything goes through Green offensively as he is almost like a point forward rather than a point guard.

In addition, Green is a senior who has tons of big-game experience, so he'll need to be as great in the tournament as he was all season long.

Keith Appling

While it was clear that point guard Keith Appling would be a good player when he showed flashes as a freshman last season, he took a huge leap this year and is now one of the Spartans' most integral players.

Appling is second on the team in scoring with 11.5 points per game and first in assists with 3.8 per game, and is responsible for getting everybody else involved.

Green may be the main star of the team, but Appling is an unsung hero in many ways.

He is able to do a little bit of everything as he scores, sets up his teammates and plays tenacious defense as well.

Guard play is incredibly important in the NCAA Tournament, and Appling has certainly been Michigan State's best guard all season long.

He isn't going to light up the opposition too often, but as long as he continues to play steady basketball, the Spartans will be in good shape.

Role Player Who Must Emerge

While the vast majority of the credit for Michigan State's success goes to head coach Tom Izzo and star players like Draymond Green and Keith Appling, there are also a number of important role players who must contribute for the Spartans to go the distance.

Perhaps the most integral of those role players is sophomore center Adreian Payne.

Payne hardly played last season as a freshman, but he has developed into a huge member of the rotation in 2012.

He only plays about 17.5 minutes per game, but at 6'10" and 240 lbs., he has the size to affect games in a big way when he's on the floor. He averages close to seven points and four rebounds per game, and he leads the team with a block per contest.

He is a very efficient offensive player as he shoots 56 percent from the floor and he isn't a liability from the line late in games as he converts over 68 percent of his free throws, which is excellent for a player his size.

With so many great big men sure to go up against the Spartans in the NCAA Tournament, Payne will need to make the most of his minutes on both ends of the floor.

Payne may be entering the tourney as a role player, but the tournament tends to create stars.

He has the skill set to be a star in the next year or two, and with a great run in the NCAA Tournament, he could very well speed up the process.

Offensive Strategy to Watch

In order for Michigan State to have success offensively, they absolutely need to get the ball into the paint.

The Spartans shot over 47 percent on the season, and a big reason for that is their willingness to bang around inside and score in the dirty areas.

Too often teams settle for perimeter jump shots, but when Michigan State is at its best, it is always penetrating to the basket.

While the Spartans have a bunch of solid guards, they don't have the star power in the backcourt that many of their closest competitors do.

All of Michigan State's guards are highly athletic, though, and that allows them to get into the lane, which completely breaks down opposing defenses. Point guard Keith Appling is the best example of this.

The main inside scorer is obviously Draymond Green. While he is perfectly capable of knocking down open jumpers and three pointers, he also is a load to contend with near the basket.

Not only does he create his own shots, but he is a ferocious offensive rebounder who keeps plays alive.

If the Spartans can keep up that high level of intensity near the rim, then they will be a tough team to contain.

Defensive Strategy to Watch

Despite the fact that Michigan State seems to have a suffocating defense on a yearly basis, there were some question marks with regards to how the Spartans would fare in that respect this season.

Those questions were answered, however, as Michigan State's defense has been better this season than it has been at any other time during Tom Izzo's coaching tenure.

The Spartans are tied for second in the nation this season as they allow a opponents to shoot a mere 37.7 percent from the field.

Much of that has to do with their perimeter defense as they have a number of young, athletic wing players who get defend from the three-point arc in.

Also, point guard Keith Appling sets the tone by stifling the opposition's point guard and disrupting the rhythm of the offense.

On top of that, Michigan State ranks 20th in the nation in rebounding.

Basically, the Spartans play team defense with every single player contributing in some way on that end of the floor.

There are very few teams that do that consistently, but the Spartans certainly do, and that makes them an incredibly tough team to play against.

Biggest NCAA Tournament Hurdle

New Mexico

I see Michigan State winning its first two matchups, against Long Island and Memphis or SLU.

But the team I see them facing in the Sweet 16 is New Mexico, a team in the competitive Mountain West Conference that can score, rebound and play solid defense.

New Mexico won its last five games before the tournament, including against No. 20 UNLV and No. 21 San Diego State in the MWC Championship.

New Mexico is not to be taken lightly.

Last-Second NCAA Tournament Prediction

Elite Eight Exit

I see Michigan State just falling short of the Final Four after getting ousted by No. 2 seed Missouri in the Elite Eight.

The Tigers are a dangerous team that averaged 80.3 points during the season (sixth in the nation) and just dominated No. 11 Baylor, 90-75.

Michigan State has a clear rebounding advantage, but so has everyone else against Missouri this season and that hasn't stopped them from going 30-4.

I think this is where the road ends for the Tom Izzo's Spartans.