EAST LANSING, Mich. – Back in November, Michigan State coach Tom Izzo talked about the need for the Spartans to establish an identity. What would, or could, it be, he mused at the time.
Weeks and months, and injuries and illnesses passed without another mention of the I-word, as though MSU might go through the entire season as a faceless entity, known for its youth and inexperience if nothing else.
But with Tuesday night’s 74-66 victory against Ohio State came a realization, even though Izzo didn’t label it with the I-word, per se.