Michigan State Basketball is fun to watch again, and here’s why

Folks, isn’t this Michigan State basketball team fun?  Most of the social media-verse seems to think so. This group of Spartans has breathed new life into the fanbase who has been forced to suffer through four seasons of relatively mediocre basketball.

It’s not lost on me that a “mediocre” season by Michigan State’s standards still ends in a tournament berth. Many programs can only hope to achieve that level of consistency over three decades. But regardless, this feels like one of those “vintage” Tom Izzo teams. Fans are not pulling out their hair or covering their eyes every other possession.

The Spartans have won ten games straight, the 13th Izzo team to do so in his tenure. Eight of those 12 previous teams culminated in either a Big Ten title or a Final Four berth.

So why is this team statistically different than recent memory, and how does it stack up to Izzo teams of yore?

Pace

The most obvious place where Michigan State basketball has improved is its transition offense. Izzo teams have always preached that they like to get out and run. But we haven’t really seen that materialize on film.

The Spartans have increased their tempo from No. 300 in 2023-24 to No. 115 in 2024-25. They have never been a top-100 team in the country in this stat, but it falls much more in line with Izzo’s gameplan. Their 19.0 fast break points per game currently leads all Division I teams.

Tyson Walker operated much more frequently in the half court and his hero ball slowed the game down visibly. AJ Hoggard could push the ball on occasion, but his effort also waned in and out.

It is clear that this team operates how it wants to with Fears running the show. And when he has speedy athletes who can run the floor like Jaden Akins and Coen Carr, transition points are much easier to come by.

This desire to consistently push the ball in transition puts opponents on their heels and wears them down as the game progresses.

Rebounding

The other vintage feature of an Izzo team is their relentless ability to crash the glass. Michigan State basketball got away from effective rebounding the last four years, posting mediocre numbers on this front. This year, it’s gathering 41.1 rebounds per game, good for second in the Big Ten behind Illinois and No. 13 nationally.

The Spartans’ rebounding margin of +10.7 is No. 7 nationally. Their offensive rebounding percentage of 37.0 is No. 1 in the conference and defensive rebounding percentage of 74.7 is No. 2 in the conference.

Part of the reason we are seeing this improvement is a healthy Jaxon Kohler. He isn’t the biggest guy on the interior, but his hustle and nose for the ball allow him to gobble up 8.1 rebounds per game. In 2024-25, he has posted seven games with double-digit rebounds after just one double-digit rebounding game in his first two seasons combined.

Additionally, MSU’s transfer addition of true 7-footer Szymon Zapala has attracted enough attention on the interior, allowing Kohler to be as effective as he has been.

Defense

The final facet of the classic Izzo mantra “defend, rebound, run” is the defense itself.

Michigan State is leading the Big Ten in blocks at 5.1 per game. Zapala’s interior size combined with the athleticism of Coen Carr has given teams fits in the paint. Carson Cooper and Xavier Booker also pose a threat with their length. Michigan State basketball has four players with a block rate greater than 4.5%, which equates to the top 20 in the Big Ten.

They are holding opponents to 29.4% from 3-point land, which is the third best mark ever for an Izzo team. That is No. 4 in the Big Ten.

KenPom has Michigan State as a top-15 team after a shaky performance against Penn State. But this team has been hovering around top-10 nationally in terms of AdjDE.

You can also see the tenacity of Jeremy Fears Jr. on display, as he has often shut down a team’s star guard and made them uncomfortable all game.

If a team can force stops and gather the rebounds, that leads to easier buckets. Not to oversimplify the game, but “defend, rebound, run” really works and there’s a reason Izzo always goes back to it.

Balance

This one has been touched on frequently this season. Michigan State basketball is taking a committee approach with their contributors this year. They are the only team in the AP Top 25 with just one player in double figures — Jaden Akins with 14.3 points per hame.

Outside of that, MSU has seven other players averaging above 6.0 points per game. Eight different players have led the team in scoring in a game this season. No player averages more than 27 minutes. Six players are above 20 minutes and another four are between 13 and 19 minutes.

The Spartans’ reserves are consistently producing. They are No. 4 nationally with 38 points off the bench per game. This allows the coaches to have confidence they can swap players easily without substantial drop-off. It gives the team fresh legs that will wear down an opponent in the closing stretch of the game. It also allows the Spartans to consistently push the ball in transition as we spoke about above.

Depth allows MSU to counter multiple different types of defenses by having ten capable players on the roster of differing skill sets.

When it comes to winning the conference and making a deep run, you need fresh legs and a team built for longevity. Based on the way Michigan State is spreading out minutes and scoring, this team can accomplish that.

Free Throws

Izzo teams have not always been consistent from the charity stripe, but this year’s team seems to have figured it out. They are No. 3 nationally in free throw percentage at a whopping 81.5%. That is also the best percentage by any Izzo team ever assuming they keep it up.

There isn’t really a weak spot on the roster in terms of individual foul shooters. Coen Carr started the season off at 45 percent but hit 21 straight after that.  Szymon Zapala started the season off 14-of-25 but hit 4-of-4 against Penn State. And his stroke looked pure as it could be. Even Fears after missing a handful told Izzo he would get back to the gym and work on it even more.

Those three are Michigan State’s weakest players, free throw percentage wise. There are seven others on the roster above 80 percent.

If you can consistently hit your free throws and draw fouls at a high rate that will win you ugly games. And there are no shortage of ugly games in the Big Ten. It also allows you to close out a tournament win that is hanging in the balance.

Summary

You can see how much this team’s work ethic and attitude have allowed them to become a tough out for just about anyone. And if Michigan State basketball can somehow sort out its most glaring weakness of outside shooting, watch out for this team come March.