Michigan State Basketball: Why Tom Izzo Has Spartans Exactly Where He Wants Them

On Selection Sunday, Michigan State was viewed as a slight underdog. Today, the No. 7-seeded Spartans are one of the favorites to win the East Region, according to the typically accurate FiveThirtyEight. 

Tom Izzo is exactly where he wants to be.

And he knows it.

On Tuesday, he joked about Michigan State being a “basketball school for the weekend” while casually mentioning that he had just talked to football coach Mark Dantonio. A rising coaching star, Dantonio has won a program-record 53 games in the past five years and has his team in the national spotlight.

But it’s March, which is Izzo’s favorite month of the year.

“He’s more than happy to pass that baton off,” said a grinning Izzo.

On Friday, Izzo’s Spartans face coach Lon Kruger’s No. 3-seeded Oklahoma Sooners at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, New York. The winner gets either the No. 4-seeded Louisville Cardinals or the No. 8-seeded North Carolina State Wolfpack in the Elite Eight.

“As far as everything goes, this weekend, we’re trying to go and win the thing—and that’s what you’ve got to do,” Izzo said. “There’s a lot of different teams there, and of course we’re focusing a lot of our stuff on Oklahoma, but we just kind of had a big meeting now to go over all three teams and try to get a little perspective on each one of them.

“It is a wide-open region. I’m not sure there’s any real favorite going in. Some people have certain teams favored, but I think everybody’s pretty even as far as what we’re doing. “

Michigan State has won 10 of its past 13 games, has one of the tourney’s hottest players and one of its best athletes, and it just beat Virginia, a team that some picked to do a lot of damage during March Madness.

Previously, the deck was stacked against Michigan State. That doesn’t seem to be the case anymore.

“It’s not like we just come ‘on’ in the NCAA tournament,” Izzo said. “I think we have been very steady the last month.”

Izzo, who has been to six Final Fours since 1999, cited an increase in the team’s free-throw shooting percentage—which had been at a program-low rate—as one of the reasons why things are falling into place for the Spartans. They lost the Big Ten tournament title in overtime to Wisconsin, 80-69, and suffered a handful of setbacks due to embarrassing efforts from the stripe.

“That sounds ridiculous, but I told you earlier, if we shot 60 percent from the line, we would have won four more games. Maybe 55 percent from the line,” Izzo said. “And so I think everything I said [about areas to improve] was pretty much on track. I know that’s not a big goal to shoot 65, but it’s changed some games that we won that we were losing earlier. If we can start upping that now a little bit more, that would be a great benefit.”

Translation: If—and that’s a big “if"—the Spartans can hit their freebies, a Final Four appearance will be well within reach.

The Talent

Travis Trice, a senior point guard, has had great showings in the past, but his career will ultimately be judged upon what he does Friday and beyond (if applicable). The 6’0”, 170-pounder has been one of the tournament’s shining stars. Look no further than his exploitation of Virginia’s defense for proof of his ramped-up play. 

With the exception of his six points versus Wisconsin in the Big Ten tourney final, he’s been as good as or better than he’s ever been during his four-year career. He’s scored at least 18 points in four of the past five games, topping out at 23 during that span, and he continues to be the key facilitator within the offense, averaging 5.1 helpers per game.

Trice has always been able to score in a hurry. But in the game against Virginia, his 13 points during a five-and-a-half-minute stretch in the first half and timely three-pointers and free throws late in the second half provided enough material to reconsider his potential for the tournament. Scoring and taking over games are two different things. With that performance, Trice has proved beyond a reasonable doubt that he can grab the wheel if and when needed.

Looking back, Trice’s career will be one of could-have-beens. Talent or drive has never been an issue—“99 percent” of Trice’s hangups were due to injury and illness, Izzo said.

Branden Dawson, a senior, and Bryn Forbes, a junior, have also come around.

At 6’6” and 225 pounds, Dawson is among the nation’s top rebounding forwards. He led the Big Ten with nearly 10 boards per game and is essentially a beyond-athletic, walking double-double. A line of 20 points and 14 boards is not out of the question.

He just needs to stay out of foul trouble. That’s hurt Michigan State all around, especially on the boards.

“Teams have killed us on their offensive glass, and that has to be fixed,” Izzo said.

Izzo compared Forbes’ ascent to that of a rocket. Defensively, the 6’3”, 175-pound shooter still has room to improve. But his scoring touch, when on point, is one of the best on the team. Properly gassed, Forbes can change a game with a couple of flicks of his wrist. He may not lead in the scoring column, but he can score the important baskets.

That’s an invaluable asset to have this time of year.

A Little Context

Darron Cummings/Associated Press

In 2005, Michigan State reached the Final Four as a No. 5 seed.

In 2009, it was a No. 2 seed and lost to North Carolina in the national title game.

In 2010, it returned to the Final Four as a No. 5 seed but lost to Butler.

Seeding, whether generous or low-balled, simply doesn’t matter when it comes to Tom Izzo’s Spartans. They get in the tournament, get hot and the rest takes care of itself.

Izzo was asked about his team’s wherewithal, which has been its best quality this season. If not for a bit of mental fortitude, the Spartans would have fallen apart back in February, effectively ending a streak of 17 straight tournament appearances.  

With that said, Izzo thought about how the season has unfolded and responded by saying: “Did I question if we’d get into the tournament? Hell yeah.”

Don’t believe that. There is a method to his madness. Plus, it’s March. Izzo is sitting pretty. He just won’t admit it at this very moment.

“I downplay where we are sometimes, because this team has been a little different—I’ve up-played it some,” he said. “But after that devastating [59-54 home] loss to Illinois [on Feb. 7]—and to me it was devastating the way we lost that game at the free-throw line—we have made some big jumps.”

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

Unless otherwise noted, all quotes and references were obtained firsthand by the writer via press conference, press release or other media availability.