Michigan State has made one deep run in March in its last eight tournaments. The only Spartan team to do it, the 2018-19 team, made the Final Four. Otherwise, it has been a struggle recently for Tom Izzo and MSU.

Since the pandemic and the exit of Cassius Winston, the glory days appeared to have left East Lansing and Izzo. The team kept making the tournament, sure, but the best season in a four-year stretch resulting in a 7-seed and a Sweet 16 is not the standard that Izzo has set around here.

After 9-seed MSU lost to top-seeded North Carolina in the second round of the tourney last year, Izzo said he would “get back to a deeper run in this tournament, or I’m going to die trying.”

Well, he sure is trying. His 2024-25 Spartans now sit at 16-2 overall and 7-0 in the Big Ten after a gritty 80-78 win over No. 19 Illinois.

“I love the way (Illinois) plays, but damn it, I love the way we played too,” Izzo said after the game. “We came back. We had some times we could have gotten down, so I think it showed a little character. There were guys that struggled a little bit early and they bounced back. We were moving people around and found some combinations that really helped.

“So all in all, the atmosphere in there was reminiscent. I told Mateen (Cleaves), it was reminiscent of the good old days. Credit goes to all you fans that are out there; students, I thought they were phenomenal. I think it’s a good time to be a Spartan.”

A stubborn Izzo would not have led to a team like this; he would have continued antiquated methods that worked great when Cleaves was playing, but not now.

Izzo's opinions on the transfer portal and players constantly changing schools are well-documented. He could have easily remained extremely selective in how he utilized the portal. He could have retired and continued talking about how bad the portal and NIL is for the sport.

“I think my players were nervous and excited (today), and how good is that?” Izzo said. “I bet you as fans, you’re nervous and excited. I bet you as media, you came to the game saying this could be a hell of a game. Those are the good things. That’s an honor to play in games that matter this much in the middle of January; and I’m pretty honest about everything, and it hasn’t been that way in the last couple years.”

Instead, Izzo found a way to continue coaching his way while adjusting where necessary to all the changes occurring in college sports. He went out and got Frankie Fidler out of Omaha and Szymon Zapala from Longwood, the first time Izzo took in multiple transfers from the portal. Both players have been instrumental to MSU’s win streak.

Something that hasn’t changed has been the on-court philosophy: run, rebound and defend. This year’s roster is much better equipped to execute and uphold Izzo’s three pillars. That’s the plus side of having a rotation that is legitimately 10 deep.

“I’ve enjoyed (all the lineup combinations) because the players have embraced it,” Izzo said. “First half of the year, it was difficult. They’ve embraced it, and I’ve told them, there’s going to be some minutes that are going to go up a little bit, some that are going to go down a little bit.

“Are we still going to try to play nine and 10 guys? Yes, because it’s been good for us. As I went through the roster of the two (Big Ten) games yesterday, Indiana is missing two players, Ohio State is missing starters, UCLA is missing (players). There were four teams that played, and every one of them had one or two starters out. Sooner or later, those (extra rotation players) might be necessities, not just luxuries, and I think we’re going to be prepared for that.

“I like the way our guys (are playing). I think they’re putting out more, and so they’re actually getting tired some too, and that’s a good thing. It’s not as easy to coach that in some ways, but it’s working and the guys have been unbelievable.”