Big Ten Tournament 2012: Michigan State Will Rule Tourney After Iowa Beatdown

Michigan State was supposed to be susceptible after losing a key part of their team. Instead, the Spartans showed just how deep they are in a pummeling of the Iowa Hawkeyes. 

We were grossly off in how hard the Spartans would be hit by losing Branden Dawson in the final game of the regular season with a torn ACL. 

Instead, Michigan State re-established themselves as the odds-on favorites to win the conference tournament and improve their seed in the NCAA tourney while doing so. 

This is not to undersell Dawson who is a vital part of this squad. The Spartans will truly feel the loss of his production and emotion on the court, but this is a far deeper team than just one player. 

In their game against, Iowa, they proved that. Draymond Green had  21 points and 10 rebounds in a game that Iowa was only briefly a part of. 

Adreian Payne also chipped in with 16 points, in game that saw the Spartans shoot 58.2 percent from the field. They were hot from beyond three, shooting 44.4 percent from distance as well. 

The Spartans got off to a scorching start, and showed no signs of falling apart like some thought they might. 

They also proved they can flip on the switch when they need to, something of tremendous value this time of year. They were tied 22 apiece early in the first half. 

The pivotal moment was met with character and poise as the Spartans shook off rust and started to dominate on both ends of the court. 

They went on an amazing 33-17 run to end the half and put the Hawkeyes in the rear-view mirror. You could tell in the way they were playing that the Spartans are out to prove themselves and take this tournament. 

They are playing for placement and pride, and will not be denied. 

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