Michigan State Basketball: Why Leadership Won't Be an Issue for 2014-15 Spartans

A lack of leadership has never really been a nagging issue for Tom Izzo at Michigan State.

As a matter of fact, in 2011-12, he saw one of his greatest, Draymond Green, lead by example and raise the already high bar for future Spartans. Due to his take-charge abilities, Day-Day earned NABC player of the year honors and All-American status, sealing a golden legacy in East Lansing.

Getting another performance like that would be nearly impossible. Draymond Greens are few and far between. But is there a Green-caliber leader on this team? That’s to be determined.

However, Izzo has quality candidates to set the tone in junior Denzel Valentine and seniors Travis Trice and Branden Dawson.

While speaking Thursday at Big Ten media day in Chicago, Izzo said that they’re his Big Three. Those three must become one in order to avoid past mistakes—such as ones made by the 2010-11 bunch, which had the necessary talent but lacked an overall sense of continuity.

It was a perfect example of a "could-have-been." 

Izzo has been around the program since the days of his mentor, Jud Heathcote; he knows how to assess what he has and what he doesn’t. Thus far, he likes what he sees with this year’s ensemble.

"I think it's a team with the same kind of passion we had last year, the same kind of camaraderie, but a little better leadership," said Izzo, who enters his 20th year as Spartans head coach (via Big Ten press release). "Last year it wasn't a strength of our team; it wasn't necessarily a weakness. We didn't have quite the leadership that we have with Travis Trice and Denzel Valentine."

Player (class)	Ht./Wt.; Position	2013-14 Stats	Top Skill
Denzel Valentine (Jr.)	6'5", 225 lbs; G/F	Averaged roughly eight points, six rebounds and four assists per game	Valentine can really do it all
Travis Trice (Sr.)	6'0", 170 lbs; PG/SG	Averaged career-high 7.3 PPG, .434 from three-point range	Streaky scorer, sneaky defender, great hustle
Branden Dawson (Sr.)	6'5," 230 lbs; Wing/PF	Returns with team highs (based on 2013-14) of 11.2 PPG, 8.3 RPG	Athletically, he's one of the best to play at the Breslin. Explosive dunker, can dominate when focused

All Is Well with Denzel

Seth Wenig/Associated Press/Associated Press

The following tweet from Matt Charboneau of the Detroit News says it all.

Recently, the Spartans have lacked direction. Valentine, a Lansing native and son of a former Spartans standout, is in position to take hold of Michigan State. 

Sure, he returns as a third-year player with triple-double capabilities and court vision rarely seen at the collegiate level. But "attitude" is his best attribute; he's had a senior-like mindset for the past two seasons.

Based on skill set and versatility, the 6'5", 225-pound do-all has drawn deserved comparisons to Green. Playing like a great is one thing—leading like one would put Valentine in the upper echelon of Izzo-era standouts. 

Trice Is Right

Seth Wenig/Associated Press

Trice has always been an underrated component of Izzo's rosters.

Now a senior, he has a chance to show the small group of non-believers that he's more than a role player. Consistently one of Izzo's top bench contributors, the 6'0", 170-pounder is now getting ready to step into distinguished territory: being a starting senior point guard for the Spartans.  

In order to be successful as such, said player must possess incredible resolve. Trice has that and then some. Two years ago, a life-threatening brain condition put everything in jeopardy. Forget playing for Izzo—maintaining a state of normalcy was his prime objective.

The fact that he beat medical odds is amazing. But the fact that he's able to play and seemingly move on from such trauma is a true wonder. With that said, Trice's commitment, hustle, desire and intentions should never be in question. Since arriving to Michigan State, he's been an ideal student-athlete. 

And he's ideal for a team and coach who are looking for the little extras. 

Dawson’s Key

Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

Communication makes and breaks relationships at all levels, in all areas. In 2013-14, things were too quiet around the program, and Dawson wants to help change that this season as he heads into his final turn. 

"I'll say that Keith Appling and (Adreian Payne), they really weren't the two who really talked a lot," Dawson said Thursday during Big Ten media day, per Myron Medcalf of ESPN.com (h/t CBS Sports' Sam Vecenie). "Gary Harris, he didn't really talk like that.

"Keith, he was kind of shy. Now, I feel like, myself, Travis [Trice], and Denzel [Valentine]...we can talk to each other. Last year, we would talk to each other, but it wasn't like we were all on the same page."

Dawson makes good points.

But he also has to take a look at himself. He's had bumps in the road, too. No one is perfect. At one point after his freshman year, he was dissatisfied and wanted to transfer. And then this past spring, he got mad while watching film, punched a table and broke his hand. 

Michigan State could have used him then. It boils down to making smart decisions, whether that means not punching tables or refusing to give in. Dawson has a clear choice to make: Be a senior or move aside for those who want to lead like one. 

His importance to Michigan State in 2014-15 cannot be stressed enough. Sure, the Spartans will be fine with a high-scoring, high-flying Dawson. They'll make the tournament and win a couple of games.

But they'd move into a much more favorable position if they got the heady, determined version of Dawson, who's entering the career-defining stage of his tenure with the Spartans. 

Follow Bleacher Report’s Michigan State Spartans basketball writer Adam Biggers on Twitter @AdamBiggers81