As former Michigan State basketball coach Jud Heathcote might say, the Spartans are back in the human race.
There were some doubts about membership after three straight losses, and Coach Tom Izzo still wasn’t entirely sold, but Saturday’s day-glo-ing 74-65 victory over No. 5-ranked and preseason Big Ten favorite Maryland even has MSU back in conversation for rejoining the Big Ten race with 10 conference games to play.
No. 11 Michigan State’s first win in 13 days provided such a release, 6-foot-9, 245-pound senior forward Matt Costello celebrated by bear-hugging the 5-9 Izzo right off his feet after checking out for the last time with four seconds remaining.