The Michigan State Spartans are rolling, winning five straight games and emerging as one of the hottest teams in college basketball with just two games left in the regular season.
For those who follow the sport closely, this shouldn’t come as a surprise.
“You never want to count out Tom Izzo or go against him come March,” said CBS Sports analyst Clark Kellogg on BetMGM Network’s flagship show You Better You Bet. “He just does such a phenomenal job of preparing his team and getting the most out of whatever he has.”
There’s a reason Izzo is called Mr. March.
The last time Michigan State missed the NCAA Tournament was 1987 (excluding the 2020 COVID season). Over the past five years, the Spartans have reached a Final Four, a Sweet Sixteen, and twice advanced to the Round of 32.
“He rarely falls short of expectations,” Kellogg added. “In many cases in his hall-of-fame career, he’s exceeded the expectations of his rosters.”
This year, Izzo has a roster capable of making a deep run. Just last week, the Spartans were +4000 to win it all at BetMGM, but that number has since shortened to +3000—the seventh-best odds in the country. Michigan State is also the sportsbook’s second-biggest liability to win the championship, behind only Duke.
“I think this team, quite honestly, is close to its ceiling,” Kellogg said. “They can shoot it a little better, but they do have a tendency to turn it over at times.”
One player who continues to step up is Jase Richardson. The freshman guard is averaging 11.0 points per game on 52.0% shooting while grabbing 3.0 rebounds. He’s also one of the team’s best threats from deep, hitting 39.2% of his three-pointers—an important weapon given Michigan State’s struggles from beyond the arc.
So, do the Spartans have what it takes to make a deep run?
“Depending on the matchup, I think there are a number of teams out there that have better personnel,” Kellogg said. “Does that always win? Not necessarily.”
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