East Lansing — As Tom Izzo met with the media a couple of weeks ago to preview Michigan State’s season, he was very clear about who was the Spartans’ top player.
He called senior guard Denzel Valentine Michigan State’s “star of stars,” and very few, if any, would argue with the legendary coach. The senior will almost certainly be in the running for Big Ten Player of the Year and some believe he will finish as an All-American.
But after a few minutes lauding Valentine, Izzo moved on to another player who might be as important to Michigan State’s success as anyone, even Valentine.