4 key stats show why Michigan State basketball feels “back”

This year’s Michigan State basketball team has something that he past few haven’t: a passion for winning.

While I do believe guys like Tyson Walker, Joey Hauser, and Malik Hall did want to win more than anything, it’s hard to truly say that entire teams have been on the same page over the past few years.

That has seemingly changed this season. The team is playing well together and Tom Izzo even admitted that the major difference between this year’s team and previous seasons is that these guys want to see each other succeed. And they only care about winning.

I wanted to look a little deeper than the “toughness” and “grit” factor that truly cannot be measured but is obvious when you watch the 2024-25 Spartans. I wanted to look deeper into the numbers to see just why this team feels different — why this team feels like a vintage Izzo team.

And four key stats jumped out to me.

1. Michigan State is No. 3 in the country in fastbreak points per game (20.5)
2. MSU is No. 6 in the nation in rebound margin (11.4)
3. MSU is No. 13 in free throw shooting (80.4%) — also No. 49 in attempts (24 per game)
4. MSU is No. 17 in the country in assists per game (18.2)

When you consider these four statistical categories shifting toward “elite” status for Michigan State, it’s easy to see why the Spartans have felt more “back” this season than they have in 3-4 years.

Izzo has always preached “defense, rebound, and run” and that’s exactly what this team is doing. While the defense only ranks 120th in scoring at 68.3 points allowed per game, the rebounding and fastbreak success has more than made up for that. Plus, the defense has played well, but the Spartans have faced some high-scoring teams like Memphis, Kansas, Samford, Nebraska, and North Carolina, holding a lot of them to their season-lows.

The Spartans are No. 6 in rebounding margin which has been an Izzo staple when he has his good years. The free throw shooting has gone up 10 points from last year which has been one of the biggest improvements. And the passing has been impressive.

So if you’re wondering why Michigan State basketball feels “back”, it’s because of these four categories.