As Tom Izzo pointed out on Thursday, this isn’t a good year to be average, not when the Big Ten is as good as it is from top to bottom.
The Spartans, who had won at least a share of three straight conference championships entering the season, fully expected to be in that position again. However, things have crumbled after a perfect no nonconference run. Michigan State enters Saturday’s game at Indiana heading toward the first sub-.500 conference record in Izzo’s tenure and almost certainly will be sitting out the NCAA Tournament.
“The conference is so good this year that you just look ahead and you say, ‘Wow,’” Izzo said.