Michigan State men's basketball checks in this week at No. 8 in the Associated Press Poll following the Spartans' gritty win over now No. 17-ranked Illinois at home.
After a few seasons where perhaps the Spartans did not quite live up to the expectations that Michigan State men's basketball fans have grown accustomed to during head coach Tom Izzo's tenure, there has been a common theme regarding the 2024-2025 team that it "feels different." This year's squad plays like a vintage Izzo team.
Following multiple years of lackluster performances and early exits in the NCAA Tournament with teams that seemed disconnected and reliant on one or two players to shoulder all the responsibilities of winning, this year's team has adopted a new motto — "Strength in Numbers."
After MSU's victory over Illinois on Sunday afternoon, I had the opportunity to ask many of the members of this years squad what that slogan means to them and how they plan to leverage it as they move deeper into conference play.
"When you say 'Strength in Numbers,' it means you're going to need everybody," sophomore forward Coen Carr started. "So when somebody makes a mistake, if somebody (has) a turnover, I just say, 'It's not on you, we still got a lot of game left to play' ... We're gonna need them in the beginning, middle, and end of the game."
Following the game, Izzo spoke about how he, as a coach, has embodied the motto with substitutions and play creation to ensure that throughout the game the Spartans are relying on multiple guys to make big plays. Creating an environment — especially with the way that NIL and the transfer portal have changed college athletics — where so many players can have an impact on the game takes time and effort that starts with building a foundation of team chemistry and camaraderie.
When asked what feels different about this team, junior forward Jaxon Kohler shared that it was how much time the players have spent together that has built a deep connection.
"Preseason, we had a really good chance to really bond, hang out with each other on and off the court," Kohler said. "Especially going to Spain and doing all the stuff that we did, and that just builds such a strong foundation for our chemistry. It just feels a little smoother."
Through my conversations with the players in the locker room, it was evident that everyone has bought in to this team mantra.
"What's different is our depth," freshman guard Jase Richardson said. "(Sunday), I feel like a lot of the guards picked me up. (Sunday,) I wasn't at my best, so Jaden (Akins), Frankie (Fidler), Jeremy (Fears Jr.), they all stepped up, helped me out. We've just got so many different guys to throw at you that if one's having an off game, we can send three more at you."
Michigan State junior center center Carson Cooper shared similar sentiments.
"Everyone knows it — it's on the front of the shirts, it's what we're living by this year," Cooper said about the "Strength in Numbers" mantra. "You can look at just minutes played. So many minutes, everyone can play hard. I think that if all of us can play 15 to 20 minutes hard and be impactful in 20 minutes, then it's going to be tough for their team to play 37, 38 minutes hard against us."
Themes of "wanting the best" for other guys, and "being happy" for each other were found in almost all of my conversations. No matter age or experience on the team, everyone's commitment to this mindset was evident.
When looking ahead to tournament play in March, the discussion of the "go-to-guy" continues to come up. Historically teams that make a deep run in the tournament at the end of the season tend to have a player that exhibits exceptional NBA talent. Perhaps a challenge to this narrative would be that if college basketball has changed so much these past few years, maybe the recipe for winning in March has, too. Michigan State is doing things in a different way, and still finding success.
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