In today’s college basketball, having a talented roster that also happens to have experience is a luxury. It’s rare that a team wins conference championships and makes Final Four runs with a predominantly veteran lineup.
Michigan State has been one of those exceptions. In the era of the one-and-done and riding supremely talented but young rosters to the top, the Spartans were still in the business of developing talent and creating a team that was battle-tested and prepared for the biggest games in March.
It happened in 2014-15 when Michigan State reached the Final Four behind seniors Travis Trice and Branden Dawson as well as a group of juniors that included Denzel Valentine, Matt Costello and Bryn Forbes.