Michigan State men's basketball head coach Tom Izzo knows his team has been battle-tested this year and the Spartans were prepared for another hard-fought game Saturday.
The Hall of Famer had high praise for an Indiana State program that may eventually punch a ticket to March this season.
“This team is the real deal," Izzo said following the Spartans' 87-75 victory over Indiana State at the Breslin Center. "They can beat you in a lot of ways."
The Sycamores went up by as many as five points halfway through the second half before MSU made key defensive plays to slam the door.
“Not very often do I beat a team that isn't a Power Five team and not only feel good, but think that the win helps us … This will be a big-time win for us because it was a very good team," Izzo said about the win over Indiana State.
This was the first matchup between the schools since Earvin "Magic" Johnson took down Larry Bird’s Sycamores in the 1979 national championship game — the first national championship in Michigan State program history.
“I think both those guys (Johnson and Bird) should be proud of both these schools,” Izzo said. “What we’ve done, I think Earvin is proud and that means a lot to me. But I think Larry should be proud of where Indiana State is going.”
Michigan State outrebounded an undersized ISU team by a tally of 41-27 and played suffocating defense down the stretch, holding the Sycamores to just one field goal in the final eight minutes. MSU made 23 out of 27 free-throw attempts, something that the Spartans tried to turn the corner on during the young season.
Aside from a 26-point outburst by Indiana State's Isaiah Swope, who led all scorers, the Spartans were able to keep other key players in check for the most part.
“I’m a big (Isaiah) Swope fan," Izzo said. "I think he’s tough, he can handle it. Every time we made a mistake, he made us pay."
At halftime, Indiana State was behind 44-34, but the Sycamores staged a comeback, seizing a 54-53 lead with just over 14 minutes left in the game. Michigan State then held ISU without a field goal for over five minutes, surging ahead by nine points when Malik Hall converted a jumper into a dunk.
“(We were) never comfortable and I think they do that," Izzo said when asked about how the team felt up 10 points at halftime. "They’re well coached ... they were a little bit more physical than I thought and they were better defensively that I could see on film."
Michigan State was led by its guards to carry them through this contest. Tyson Walker led MSU in scoring with 22 points, with A.J. Hoggard (17 points) and Jaden Akins (13 points) making key plays throughout. The three guards combined to go 15-for-15 from the free-throw line as well.
“A.J. (Hoggard) has been so good the last eight games," Izzo said. "Tyson (Walker) has been playing a little banged up. Jaden Akins has been one of my most-improved players since the Wisconsin game. He’s shooting the ball better. He proved that he can be a two-way player.”
The guards playing well was a good sign for the Spartans, as this was the first game since freshman guard Jeremy Fears Jr. was shot in the leg while on holiday break back in his hometown of Joliet, Illinois. He is expected to make a full recovery and received a warm ovation when he entered the arena on crutches on Saturday. Of course, Fears is expected to miss significant time on the court.
“We’re gonna miss that kid a lot,” Izzo said about Fears.
Fears' presence was made throughout the game, actively motivating the team in huddles and at halftime. Izzo also mentioned there will be no timetable for Fears’ return until the initial six-to-eight-week period is up.
The Spartans will have the next four days off before returning to conference play on Jan. 4 in a home matchup versus Penn State.
Izzo referenced MSU's difficult early season schedule, and believes that will help the Spartans going forward.
“We’ve had a hell of a schedule,” Izzo said. “Are we battle-tested? I don’t know. I know one thing: We’ve played against a lot of different kinds of ball. I think we’re prepared in that respect to guard many different sets.”
MSU is now winners of four straight and seems to have found a mojo heading into the middle of the season.
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