With a fun, exciting, emotional season in the books, we take a quick look at what the Spartans accomplished and endured over the course of the year.
As has been stated, by myself and many others, Michigan State Basketball was supposed to enter a downturn this season. They lost two star prospects to the NBA draft in Miles Bridges and Jaren Jackson Jr., something Tom Izzo does not have to deal with often.
Then they lost Joshua Langford to a devastating ankle injury. Then they lost Nick Ward to a hand injury. Yet, this team was able to persevere
They started the season with a title at the Las Vegas Invitational, capped off by Joshua Langford (pre-injury) erupting for 29 points against Texas.
Then they kept fighting, even through injuries, to eventually be declared as co-champions of the Big Ten Regular Season, beating Michigan twice in the regular season, just weeks apart, to earn that honor.
They didn’t stop there though, they bulldozed their way through the Big Ten Tournament, beating Michigan again in the championship to win the title.
The Spartans then made their 22nd consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance (they have gone every year since Tom Izzo joined the year, except his first.) After the first round, the team had to deal with adversity when Tom Izzo’s coaching of Aaron Henry came under fire, but the entire team, fanbase, and alumni came to the support of the Spartans.
Perhaps most shockingly, they knocked out what was considered to be one of the all-time, most talented teams in the history of the game in Duke on their way to the program’s 10th Final Four, losing to a team that pushed the champions, Virginia, to their limit.
This was an amazing, historic, unprecedented season for Tom Izzo and his Spartans, and it’s one I’ll never forget.
