Michigan State basketball: 2025 Big Ten title is the most meaningful to date for fans

They’ve done it. After weeks of scoreboard watching and standings updates, Michigan State basketball can finally claim the 2025 Big Ten Championship as its own. The Spartans will forever be remembered as the first champions of the new 18-team league.

For Michigan State fans, this championship will be remembered as the most meaningful men’s basketball championship ever.

This title comes on the heels of four exhausting, yet eerily similar seasons in East Lansing. All four seasons featured at least 13 losses, with no more than 11 wins in conference. MSU was stuck in the middle. Good enough to compete, but not often good enough to win.

And no matter how much you loved Tom Izzo, there were valid questions being asked about a path forward. The Spartans had never experienced a downward stretch like this under the Hall of Fame coach. With the game evolving, both on and off the court, many speculated (me included) that this was the beginning of the end of a legendary run.

The most difficult thing to do in coaching is regain momentum after it’s been lost. Michigan State basketball fans witnessed this in the late 2010s with the football program under Mark Dantonio. Legendary basketball coaches like John Calipari and Jim Boeheim were never able to right the ship, ending storied chapters at their universities with unpleasant memories.

What proved to be most frustrating was the steadfast belief from Tom Izzo. He was reluctant to change, insisting that his process was the right one. That created a division within the fanbase. Supporters knew better than to doubt him. Detractors grew disinterested, while still acknowledging that Izzo had built up the equity to see this through on his terms.

After last season’s second-round exit from the NCAA Tournament, Izzo famously said afterwards that he would get back to advancing deep into the tournament or “die trying”. Those comments, after four years of mediocrity, felt hollow.

But he stood by those comments. This past summer, Izzo was more active in the transfer portal than he’d been at any point since its inception. When a position opened on his coaching staff, he went with an outside hire, rather than promoting from within. And when it became clear that MSU’s best player was a true freshman, Izzo stuck him in the starting lineup, and turned to him in key moments.

Interwoven within those changes, though, are the pillars that helped build Michigan State basketball. Defense. Rebounding. Transition offense.

Which is what makes this championship so satisfying. It’s not just that the Spartans won a bunch of games. It’s the way they did it. Stifling defense. Bullying teams on the glass. And playing their best when it meant the most.

This regular season, and this Big Ten title, will forever be remembered with five Quad 1 wins in a row. In those games, Michigan State basketball was 58 points better than their opponents in the second half, with a rebounding advantage of +39. And after years of coming up short, the Spartans found ways to strap in and emerge victorious.

This title isn’t possible without the foundation that Tom Izzo built over 29 years in East Lansing. It’s also not possible without a firm look in the mirror this offseason. In that sense, MSU fans, regardless of their feelings a year ago, feel vindicated. This moment is the culmination of all things that make Michigan State basketball one of the premier programs in all of college athletics.

A program that has traditionally avoided the “one and done” type NBA prospects (although Jase Richardson is becoming one) used 10 guys each night to get the job done. Each player, with their own unique set of skills, had their moment during this run. While that all sounds wholesome, it requires an immense amount of sacrifice and buy-in from the entire roster. In today’s landscape, that’s rare.

But rare circumstances don’t always present themselves randomly. You don’t win 11 Big Ten titles by accident. And you don’t suddenly forget how to coach after you’ve been doing it for over 40 years.

Almost poetically, MSU’s clinching win Thursday night at Iowa featured many of the themes that have already made this group so memorable. An ugly first half, with lots of bad shooting, and questions about whether this was the game where the wheels came off.

But fear not, the second-half Spartans showed up. With a little help from the Iowa crowd and the zebras, MSU reminded people that they signed up to play the entire 40 minutes. Tre Holloman’s attitude ignited a 31-6 run that put the Hawkeyes to bed, and the Spartans on the throne.

As we head forward in March, this Michigan State basketball team has bigger goals than winning the Big Ten. Their regular season will put them in a spectacular position to do so. But they should know, their legacy doesn’t depend on a deep tournament run. It’s already been made with an outstanding regular season… and an inaugural Big Ten (18-team version) Championship.