Championship Success
| View Comments Defense and rebounding.
Heart and determination.
Leadership and preparation.
None of these basketball qualities are flashy. And as a guy who grew up playing basketball, they aren’t always fun either. However, winning is fun, and those aforementioned qualities demonstrate why Tom Izzo’s program wins on a consistent basis.
It’s also why Michigan State is on track to another Big Ten title this season.
Saturday’s win at Ohio State exemplified those six traits of Izzo-ball, and as a result, vaulted MSU into the Big Ten’s top spot. While the game wasn’t necessarily a sight to behold for basketball fans in general, it was for the Spartan faithful.
While there are six difficult games remaining on MSU’s Big Ten schedule – with the next five in a span of 13 days – fans should be excited about the chances of another conference crown when you look at where this year’s Spartan team stacks up.
Of Michigan State’s previous six Big Ten titles under Coach Izzo (98, 99, 00, 01, 09, 10) the Spartans have boasted the league’s top scoring differential five times. And it’s mostly due to lockdown defense. Only once, among those six titles have the Spartans led the league in scoring.
Scoring Margin
MSU Opp
1998 73.6 64.6 +9.0 - 1st
1999 70.6 61.2 +9.4 - 1st
2000 76.1 59.8 +16.3 - 1st
2001 74.8 61.8 +13.0 - 1st
2009 67.6 - 1st 59.2 +8.4 - 1st
2010 66.3 61.3 +5.1
2012 69.2 57.8 +11.4 - 2nd****
Only once have the Spartans had the highest shooting percentage among Big Ten teams during the previous six title years.
FG% OFFENSE
1998 44.4%
1999 45.8%
2000 47.7%
2001 49.1% - 1st
2009 44.0%
2010 45.3%
2012 47.3% - 2nd****
Out of all the Tom Izzo championship teams, this year’s edition is just a tenth of a percentage point behind his top 3-point shooting team of 1998. This season’s group, ranks third in the conference.
3FG%
1998 37.0%
1999 34.2%
2000 35.8%
2001 30.8%
2009 34.4%
2010 32.1%
2012 36.9% - 3rd****
For Michigan State, it’s always about defense and rebounding. Check out the numbers in MSU’s Big Ten Championship years. In the first two championship seasons, the Spartans had more offensive firepower and less defensively. This year, the Spartans are the top ranked defense in the Big Ten.
FG% DEFENSE
1998 43.1%
1999 44.3%
2000 38.8%
2001 39.4%
2009 41.0%
2010 41.1%
2012 37.6% - 1st****
3FG% DEFENSE
1998 31.0%
1999 31.8%
2000 27.4%
2001 36.4%
2009 29.9% - 1st
2010 32.2% - 1st
2012 27.9% - 1st****
Again, rebounding isn’t a glamour stat, but it’s been instrumental in the success of Tom Izzo’s teams over the years. While the Spartans don’t always win the conference, they have made the Big Dance 14 straight times (about to be 15), and doing the tough things make them successful. And strong a strong effort on the glass is essential to win a Big Ten title.
REBOUND MARGIN
MSU Opp.
1998 37.4 31.1 +6.4 - 1st
1999 34.7 26.8 +7.9 - 1st
2000 41.3 26.6 +14.7 - 1st
2001 39.9 26.5 +13.4 - 1st
2009 38.6 27.1 +11.5 - 1st
2010 37.3 28.7 +8.7 - 1st
2012 37.8 27.7 +10.1 - 1st****
Do these stats prove that the Spartans will win another Big Ten title this year? No. However, in my estimation, it’s only because the Big Ten is better as a whole this season.
With Branden Dawson and Brandon Wood both improving defensively in recent games and weeks, the Spartans are only getting stronger.
Izzo-ball works. Play it and win.
WISCONSIN TICKET GIVEAWAY!!!!!!
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