Michigan State Spartans head coach Tom Izzo hasn't had any delusions thus far into the season. He's never stated that his team was the best or that they were going to win the Big Ten Conference or any other title. Does he think his team is good? Sure he does, and for good reason: His Spartans are ranked second in the conference and slated to become a major contender in the NCAA Tournament.
The one bump in the road ahead, or rather, two bumps in the road (I'll explain that in a moment)? Well, that obstacle just happens to be the best team in the conference according to Tom Izzo. That team is the Ohio State Buckeyes.
"I've said all along, they are the best team in the conference," Izzo said Thursday. "I still haven't changed my opinion of that, especially now having watched them on tape."
And why are there two bumps in the road instead of merely one? Michigan State (19-5, 8-3 Big Ten) not only travels down to Columbus, Ohio tonight to take on the Buckeyes (21-3, 9-2) at Value City Arena, but will host Ohio State at the Breslin Center in East Lansing, Michigan to close the regular season on March 4th.
With a win tonight, the Spartans will land in a tie for first place and have a legitimate shot at sealing No. 1 spot in the conference before the start of March Madness. While the initial outlook of playing a team like Ohio State twice as the season draws to a close may have been grim for Izzo and his players, those two games will allow either team to step up and truly control their destiny.
As they prepare for the dual showdowns that will weigh so heavily on their final standings, reporters asked Izzo if he thought perhaps a rivalry was growing between his program and the likes of Ohio State.
"It would be a good rivalry to pick up," responded Izzo, "they've won a lot of games. ... They've earned their keep."
As a competitor, the Buckeyes are stacked. They're led by center/forward combo and national player-of-the-year hopeful Jared Sullinger, who stands at all of 6-foot-9 and plays with an intense drive that has helped keep Ohio State among the best-ranked teams in the country. There's good reason that Izzo thinks they are the best team in the Big Ten.
"They are a very solid team in every aspect," he said. "They've got a shooter (William Buford), they've got a point guard (Craft), they can defend, they've got a wing guy, they've got a hell of a post man (Sullinger), and (Deshaun) Thomas goes inside and outside, so they've got a little bit of everything."
One thing they don't have? Draymond Green. The senior forward for Michigan State has been nothing short of outstanding. Just one game after injuring his knee against Illinois, he had one of his best games of the season when he bounced back and helped to cut the University of Michigan Wolverines down at the Breslin Center to keep the Spartans ranked No. 2 in the conference. During that game, Green totaled as many rebounds (16) as the entire Michigan team and if MSU hopes to have a chance to walk away with a win and a share of the top spot, they're going to have to bring everything they've got...and they know it.
"It's going to be a battle," Green told reporters after Thursday's practice.
You can follow MSU Examiner, Michael Ferro, at twitter.com/MichaelFerro.
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