On Tuesday night, Michigan State fans saw something that we have not seen in several years. With a ranked and rugged Rutgers squad in town, and with the Spartans staring with a 1-3 conference record, the game felt as close to a “must win” contest as any early January game has felt in quite some time in these parts. The Spartans simply could not afford to fall to 1-4.
Fortunately, once the game tipped-off, Michigan State fans saw something that we have not seen in several weeks: a tough, gritty commitment to defense and rebounding, the foundational principles of head coach Tom Izzo’s program.