Michigan State Basketball: No one is hotter than the Spartans

Led by the play of National Player of the Year candidate Denzel Valentine, Michigan State basketball has played its last eight games better than any team in the country.

There is a familiar story to the Michigan State Spartans every season.

The story usually goes like this. Whatever the Spartans do in November through January is a process. Legendary head coach Tom Izzo meticulously improves his team through these months to get the Spartans playing their best basketball in late February and into March. By the time the tournament has started, Sparty is a rolling stone towards an Elite Eight, Final Four or National Championship run.

The 2015-16 Michigan State Spartans are currently fitting this narrative to a tee and that makes them a National Championship contender in March.

In late January, there were doubts. The Spartans suffered their third loss in a row, this time to an average Nebraska team at home. Michigan State sat at 16-4 and 3-4 in conference play. They had welcomed back Valentine from injury, but were out of sync and faced a tipping point on their season.

“There’s blood in the water right now,” Izzo said in his post-game press conference.

Their next game, a home game against top-10 Maryland was a must win. It was a turning point in their season.

Michigan State met that challenge and defeated the Terrapins. The game offered Michigan State’s blueprint for success over their last eight games. Strong inside play from senior forward Matt Costello (15 and 12 in the Maryland game), hot 3pt shooting from senior guard Bryn Forbes (4-8 from downtown in this one) and the maestro of the Spartans, senior guard Denzel Valentine (he put up 19 points, 14 rebounds and 8 assists). All three players have been superb in their 7-1 streak.

But let’s look at them a little further.

The Spartans’ main weakness is their size. They are long and talented, but not particularly big and consistent. The player that needs to provide that consistency is Costello. The Michigan-native does not always see eye-to-eye with Coach Izzo, but has been excellent the past eight games.

Over this stretch he has averaged 12.3 points per game, 8.7 rebounds and defended all-Big Ten caliber centers such as freshman Diamond Stone of Maryland and senior center A.J. Hammons of Purdue. For Michigan State to be successful in March, Costello has to provide defense, rebounding and leadership. If he’s off, that could doom the Spartans.

Forbes is one of the best shooters in America. He knocked down seven three-pointers in Wednesday’s road victory at Ohio State and has knocked down at least 5 three-pointers in six of their games this season. Overall, he’s shooting 49.4% from long range and can turn a game on a dime with his shooting ability.

So important to Michigan State’s success, Forbes’ worst shooting night of the year was their one loss over the last month. In an 82-81 overtime loss at Purdue, Forbes was just 1-of-7 from three and 3-of-11 overall. This type of game has been an aberration for Forbes and his instant offense capabilities will be a huge threat in the Big Ten and NCAA Tournaments.

The final breakdown goes to one of the best players in the country, Denzel Valentine. Valentine has been ridiculous the past eight games. He’s averaged 22.2 points per game, 7.6 rebounds and 8.8 assists over the last eight games and in four of those, has recorded double-doubles. If he keeps up this pace, the Spartans have an excellent chance at another Final Four run next month.

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It has been an incredible February for Michigan State this season. As the calendar turns, no team enters postseason play with more momentum and a higher level of play. Why would you expect anything different from a Tom Izzo team?

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