At this point for Michigan State, as the regular season and conference tournament has concluded, there is a pretty good sense of this team’s identity.

They have showcased it over a five week stretch that saw them win eight straight tough games. However, as we saw Saturday against Wisconsin, this Spartan team isn’t immune to poor stretches and disappointing results.

Obviously, as the Big Ten regular season champion, MSU has shown they are gritty, they rebound, they defend, and they run. But is there more to this team to be uncovered?

Their last test awaits: the NCAA Tournament.

For much of Saturday’s game versus Wisconsin, Michigan State seemed sloppy, stiff, and unassertive.

This isn’t necessarily new for the Spartans, as they have been able to overcome these spats with impressive second halves. However, for the first time in five weeks, Michigan State wasn’t able to overcome these stretches as they fell to the Badgers.

So what did we learn from this game, that may be important as Selection Sunday is here and Michigan’s State’s road to the Final Four is soon to be revealed?

Anyone who has watched Michigan State for long understands that once a player commits their second foul in the first half, Tom Izzo is not going to let them see the court again until after half.

That was the case for Jaxon Kohler who committed his second with 11:05 to go in the half. At that point in the game, Michigan State had outscored Wisconsin by nine points when Kohler was on the court. The Badgers would end up outscoring the Spartans 23-11 to finish out the half, holding a four-point advantage at the break.

“(Kohler) provides a lot of energy off of offensive rebounds," said Jase Richardson after the game in the locker room. "He gets our offense really going when he gets those boards."

In Kohler’s absence, Booker and Zapala played more than they usually do, but the two of them combined for zero points, one rebound, and two turnovers. It was in these longer-than-normal stretches that Wisconsin was able to go on their runs, taking Michigan State out of their rhythm and squashing any momentum the Spartans had gotten early.

While limited to just 16 minutes (six in the first half), Kohler still amassed seven points and seven rebounds, making his presence felt when on the court. He had a similar impact the first time these two teams faced when he had 10 points and 16 rebounds.

Kohler wasn’t the only one in foul trouble as Jase Richardson picked up his second and third fouls within the first minute of the second half. This sidelined Richardson for a large stretch and took away the Spartans biggest weapon while they attempted to fight back.

The Wisconsin's John Tonje was playing at an incredibly high level and hitting big shots in big moments. While Richardson was on the court, he was able to match Tonje’s moments, but during his stretches on the bench, Michigan State didn’t have anyone who could consistently answer back.

While depth is still a massive strength for this team, what was learned this weekend is that Richardson and Kohler might be the two most important players on this roster. When they are off the court, there just isn’t enough scoring or elite rebounding presence that can survive longer than normal stretches.

If either of these players happens to be in foul trouble next week, players like Jaden Akins, Tre Holloman, and Carson Cooper have to step up in their absences. If MSU's depth is going to continue to be a strength, the players picking up the load have to do just that - pick up the load.