In retrospect, we really should have seen this coming.
Well, maybe that is a stretch. After all, the 2020-21 Michigan Sate Spartans were just 4-9 on Feb 17. Long-time Spartans fans had seen Tom Izzo-coached teams weather adversity in the first months of the season only to surge to greatness in closing weeks of the season. But this year, with this team, the hole seemed too deep.
There were so many reason to doubt this team. The players and staff suffered through COVID outbreaks, shooting slumps, and maddening inconsistency, and all of these things just happen to hit in a year when the Big Ten is the strongest conference of the entire Kenpom era.