One Key Has Been Pivotal to Spartans' Recent Success
There is no question that the No. 16 Michigan State Spartans are one of the best teams in the Big Ten this season, but what has been the leading reason for the team's success? Besides the multitude of options to score the ball, the Spartans have prided themselves on their defensive effort this season.
The Spartans are riding a seven-game win streak, including three-straight conference wins to put them in first place in the Big Ten standings. In classic Tom Izzo fashion, his teams continue to be stellar on the defensive end.
In their last five games, the Spartans have held their opponents to under 70 points. They are tied for the fifth-best defense in the Big Ten, allowing an average of 66.7 points per game. Opponents are shooting less than 40% from the field and under 30% from 3-point range this year.
With the strong offensive production that the Spartans possess, holding teams under 70 points is a winning recipe. They have only allowed more than 75 points in time this year, being a 94-91 overtime win over No. 12 North Carolina at the end of November.
As a team, Michigan State has been stellar defensively, but there are a few individual players who have made the biggest impact on their opponents' scoring woes. Freshman guard Jeremy Fears Jr. leads the team with 14 steals while junior guard Tre Holloman backs him up with 13 of his own.
The Spartans have also been sensational in the paint, coming up with big blocks to stymie key possessions. They rank third in the conference, averaging 5.1 blocks per game, with senior center Szymon Zapala and sophomore forward Xavier Booker with 13 blocks each.
Outside of the turnover plays that help earn this Spartan team more possessions, their rebounding ability has been off the charts. Izzo has always prided his team on strong rebounding and they have done it once again, earning 29 defensive rebounds per game, second-best in the conference.
Defensive rebounding is an underappreciated stat that goes under the radar but has a direct impact on the winning and losing sides. The more defensive boards the Spartans get, the fewer chances their opponent has had to score. They have executed in all phases to limit opposing teams from scoring.
Michigan State will look to keep their defensive prowess on the rise as they will host the Washington Huskies (10-5) on Thursday night at the Breslin Center, looking for a fourth-straight conference win. Tip-off is set for 8 pm. EST.
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