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Michigan State basketball: 2019-20 season review and 2020-2021 first-look preview

By Mike Phillips

Tom Izzo of the Michigan State Spartans. (Photo by G Fiume/Maryland Terrapins/Getty Images)
Tom Izzo of the Michigan State Spartans. (Photo by G Fiume/Maryland Terrapins/Getty Images) /
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EAST LANSING, MICHIGAN – MARCH 08: The Michigan State Spartans raise a banner to celebrate their share of the 2020 Big Ten Championship after defeating the Ohio State Buckeyes 80-69 at the Breslin Center on March 08, 2020 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
EAST LANSING, MICHIGAN – MARCH 08: The Michigan State Spartans raise a banner to celebrate their share of the 2020 Big Ten Championship after defeating the Ohio State Buckeyes 80-69 at the Breslin Center on March 08, 2020 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

How did they do?

Defining the performance of Michigan State this season certainly is a bit tricky. If you were trying to judge them off of the fact the Spartans began the year atop the polls, it was certainly a bit of a disappointment.

It is also fair to mention the Spartans earned the top spot on the assumption Joshua Langford would be healthy and contributing. Langford’s foot injury, which sidelined him for his senior season, threw Michigan State’s roster into flux and forced Tom Izzo to begin scrambling to find new rotations early in the season.

There were some moments when the Spartans looked questionable, notably a loss to Virginia Tech in Maui and dropping three straight in Big Ten play in February, but Izzo didn’t panic and eventually settled onto a new rotation. That rotation helped Michigan State finish the regular season strong and in position to earn a top-four seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Anyone who has watched college basketball over the years knows there are few coaches better in tournament time than Izzo, who has an uncanny ability to get his teams ready to play on a quick turnaround. Most projections had Michigan State around a No. 3 seed right now, but there is a decent chance they could have ended up on the two-line if they won the Big Ten Tournament.

The Spartans’ ultimate chances in March would have depended on where they fell in the bracket and the matchups they had to face on the way to Atlanta. With momentum proving to be a key, especially this season, there was a strong possibility Michigan State could have gone back to the Final Four and had a puncher’s chance to win the national championship.