Defend. Rebound. Run. That Tom Izzo mentality has been instilled in the Michigan State basketball program for years, and most of his teams have been receptive to that attitude.
But for a few years, that toughness was lost a little bit. The Spartans still defended well and rebounded at a high level and had a strong fast-break offense, but that toughness and “dawg” mentality was missing from too many players. There have been exceptions, but there hasn’t been a true “vintage” Izzo team since Cassius Winston.
Last year’s team got back to that old Izzo mentality, and that’s why it was able to win the Big Ten by three games and make the Elite Eight.