Beginning the season as an underdog is nothing new for Tom Izzo and Michigan State.
The Spartans were projected to finish fifth or sixth in the Big Ten standings after winning the conference by three games, and it felt like Izzo was getting disrespect that he didn’t deserve.
It made sense to an extent. Michigan State lost a handful of key players like Jaden Akins, Jase Richardson, and Tre Holloman, but it did return four core players.
Jaxon Kohler, Jeremy Fears Jr., Carson Cooper, and Coen Carr all returned with a Big Ten title under their belts, and that experience has proven to be more valuable than any “expert” expected before the season began.