Are MSU's Izzo's Concerns From Rutgers Game to be Viewed as Alarming?

No. 8 Michigan State was able to attain its 12th-straight victory with its win over Rutgers on Saturday. But Coach Tom Izzo noticed something troublesome in his team's play.

Jan 25, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Michigan State Spartans head coach Tom Izzo reacts during the first half against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Tom Izzo knows what he's got with his current team, but he's seen quality groups get in their own way before.

So far this season, that hasn't really been an issue for No. 8 Michigan State. The Spartans, now winners of 12 straight, continuously play their brand of basketball, not letting outside noise corrupt their heads.

They've managed to not get ahead of themselves, taking every game one at a time, just as every coach in every sport stresses.

But Izzo saw something from his team he hadn't seen yet when it outlasted Rutgers on Saturday.

"I was really disappointed -- I thought for the first time, we kind of looked a little more entitled, we looked like we were reading our own press clippings, we did not move the ball smoothly, we looked a little selfish," Izzo said after the Spartans' 81-74 win over the Scarlet Knights. "So, this is a new thing for these guys, too. And learning how to deal with failure is hard, learning how to deal with success is sometimes harder. So, we found a way in the second half to get better."

It's natural for a team to take its foot off the pedal for a bit when all it has known is winning for so long. The Spartans haven't lost a game in two months, their last loss having come against Memphis in the Maui Invitational in November.

"Today, we didn't get our break going like we needed to," Izzo said. "We just seemed a step slow. ... The only thing I didn't like about the whole day is I didn't feel like we had the same grit, and sometimes, that happens when you start winning and everybody starts telling you how good you are. So, thank God I won't tell them that, and maybe we can get back to normal."

Michigan State is 17-2, with an undefeated 8-0 record in Big Ten play. It's safe to say this team is made of the right stuff, but a brutal month of February is approaching.

If Izzo's concerns on Saturday are any indication of the Spartans potentially falling into the mindset the Hall-of-Fame coach has so desperately wanted them to avoid, Michigan State could put itself in a dangerous position going into the postseason.

But one little hiccup might be just that: a hiccup. And again, it's natural for that to eventually occur.

But after all, the Spartans finished strong on Saturday and were able to secure the victory in Madison Square Arena, a venue they had struggled in in recent years.

"[W]e're pretty good; we're not great," Izzo said. "So, let's make sure our media understands what I've been preaching for two weeks. We're not great yet, but we're pretty good."

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