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It’s getting to be about that time for Tom Izzo and the Michigan State Spartans.
It’s the time of year when their mediocrity slowly begins to morph into superiority, the mid-winter doldrums shaped and molded into pre-tournament excitement.
If Izzo has a calling card, it’s his innate ability to get the State hoopers firing on all cylinders just as the season reaches its apex. He seems to be doing it again.
The Spartans have ripped off four wins in five games, culminating in the aptly titled “Valentine’s Day” win over Ohio State. Just a few weeks ago, things weren’t looking so peachy.
There was a dogfight overtime win against hapless Northwestern. Then a second loss to conference newbie Maryland. Following that was a very tight home win against non-threatening Penn State and a loss to an underwhelming Nebraska team.
If anyone had high hopes for the Spartans making waves in 2015, they weren’t being too vocal about it then.
But if there is anything an educated sports fan in Michigan ought to know, it’s to never count out a Tom Izzo team in February, March, sometimes even April.
The continued upswing of the Spartans will be tested tonight with a trip to Ann Arbor. This game will go a long way in letting the college basketball world know whether this is a bona-fide Final Four contender or a mere tournament afterthought.
And that doesn’t mean the opponent they’ll be taking on is all that imposing, either.
John Beilein’s Wolverines are huffing and puffing their way to the Big Ten finish line. They’ve fought tooth and nail the last few weeks, but continue to come up short. Their desire outweighs their talent and experience tenfold, which is a good recipe if what you’re seeking is a season chock full of moral victories.
So a simple Spartans win by a couple of points, or again in overtime like the first meeting, won’t move the needle much. But if Denzel Valentine and Travis Trice go out and lead their squad to a double-digit win, one they carry from start to finish, it will officially let us know that this particular Izzo edition has arrived.
Of course, the major test for MSU comes on March 1 with a trip to Madison. The Badgers have been the conference bully all year, and their 23-2 overall record foreshadows a possible national championship run. It’s the only time they’ll meet in the regular season.
But by then, the green and white identity should be well-established one way or the other.
It’s not a traditional Izzo bunch with three or four future pros dotting the roster.
Branden Dawson is a fringe NBA prospect, probably destined for a career full of 10-day contracts and D-League slam dunk titles. Valentine has enough of a Draymond Green thing going that he could be set for a professional splash after next year, but it’s not a sure thing.
And that’s about it. If Izzo can continue to refine this team and actually have them primed for a bracket run in March, it’ll be one of his most impressive accomplishments to date.
The Spartans have been at this juncture a couple different times this year. Every time, they’ve tumbled back to the earth.
An 8-3 start was sullied with a bizarre home loss to Texas Southern.
A mini two-game conference winning streak was interrupted with a particularly nasty home defeat to Illinois when Michigan State confidently knocked in 7 of 18 free throw tries, a 39-percent mark that even Andre Drummond looks down upon. Well, not really.
With just a half-dozen games left, now is the time for Izzo to really start pushing the boulder downhill. You build the right momentum at the right time, and suddenly you’re the new “sleeper” pick for big dance success.
The Spartans have played better teams recently, and they’ll play better teams in the next couple of weeks. But tonight is a different kind of test. It’s a rivalry game with a hostile crowd and an undermanned opponent feasting off their underdog status.
The exam begins promptly at 9 p.m. By 11:15, we’ll know how Izzo and his troops graded out.
And we’ll know exactly how much or how little to expect over the season’s final month.
