Tom Izzo has a blueprint for success that has worked for decades now. Michigan State men’s basketball has made 25 consecutive NCAA tournament appearances, which is the second-longest active streak behind only Kansas (33). The Spartans are likely to earn a bid again this March, but this season hasn’t always been pretty to watch.
A team that started this season ranked Top 5 in the country is now 12-8 overall and 4-5 in conference play. While part of those struggles can be credited to playing a tough schedule, the Spartans have not done themselves many favors.
Throughout his career, Izzo puts most responsibility on his veteran players’ shoulders, and this year that has been Malik Hall, Jaden Akins, Tyson Walker and AJ Hoggard. The offense mostly runs through Walker and Hoggard, while Hall and Akins are heavily relied on defensively and in rebounding. All four average over 25 minutes per game and MSU has struggled when one of these four haven’t played well.
That problem is in the hands of Izzo, who has committed to playing a short rotation despite signing a Top 5 recruiting class last offseason. After the preseason excitement surrounding the Spartans’ depth, Michigan State’s freshmen have mostly been sidelined. There’s no accounting for freshman point guard Jeremy Fears, who was the unfortunate victim of a shooting over Christmas break and may be out the remainder of the season, but it’s time for freshmen forwards Coen Carr and Xavier Booker to take on larger roles.