Michigan State basketball: 5 best seasons in Spartans history

4. Best Michigan State basketball seasons: 1998-99

Although the title winners of the very next year have their special place in the history books, the foundation for that championship was laid with this team. The 1998-99 edition of Michigan State was the first truly great team that Izzo assembled and many of the players on it became stars in the following March.

The regular season was a romp for Michigan State, which easily won the Big Ten with a 15-1 conference record. Led by juniors Mateen Cleaves and Morris Peterson, the Spartans also took care of business in the Big Ten Tournament, winning it to help cement a top seed in the NCAA Tournament.

The dance looked like it would be little trouble for Michigan State, which cruised through the first four rounds to get all the way to Tampa for the Final Four. This would be the first Final Four of Izzo’s career, but the Spartans ran into a buzzsaw known as Duke.

The Blue Devils’ team that faced off with Michigan State was one of the best ever assembled, but to the Spartans’ credit they played them very hard. Duke only won by six, denying Izzo’s squad a shot at UConn for the national championship.

That defeat clearly set the tone for the following season, which we will cover in short order. Cleaves also made his mark on the national stage, winning the Big Ten’s Player of the Year award and making the All-America team.