After making a run to the Elite Eight last season, many wondered what Michigan State’s basketball team could do for an encore in 2025.
The Spartans returned a few emerging players, but needed to add complementary pieces to shore things up and fill out the bulk of their roster following the key departures of Jace Richardson, Jaden Akins, Frankie Fidler, Tre Holloman, and Szymon Zapala.
That’s led to a 12-1 start and a team that is still among the contenders for the Big Ten and national championships as conference play begins. But how close can MSU get to achieving those goals? If you ask head coach Tom Izzo, the success of the current season hinges on the performances of two particular players…