This is the first time the Spartans have done this since before COVID-19.
For the first time since Cassius Winston was running the point and Xavier Tillman was patrolling the paint, Michigan State basketball has won 10 games in a row.
That’s right, for the first time since 2018, the Spartans have reeled off 10 straight victories after starting 5-2. That year, the Spartans were 5-2 with tough early-season losses to Kansas (sound familiar?) and Louisville (Memphis isn’t too far away). They then went on to win 13 straight games, smacking a handful of Big Ten opponents in the process.
The team this year has achieved the same goal, and they want to have the same level of success as the 2018-19 squad, which advanced to the Final Four and defeated a formidable Duke squad full of elite players.
The Spartans have a strong post defense and an excellent passer at point guard (Jeremy Fears now, Cassius in 2018-19), which is one similarity between this club and that 2018-19 squad. Even though the 2018-19 squad had far superior deep shooting, both also went out and sprinted.
Still, this is an impressive feat in today’s college basketball because if you’re a good team, you’re going to get every team’s best effort on a nightly basis.
The Spartans are playing with a major target on their backs.
There has been some doubt about whether Michigan State’s 15-2 start to the season is fraudulent given the fact that their best wins in this 10-game streak are against North Carolina, Ohio State, Nebraska, and Northwestern, but you can only play the teams on the schedule. Michigan State has been handling almost everyone in their path over the past two months, with the exception of Penn State and Ohio State for a 10-minute stretch.
