It was an ugly win. But isn't that what Michigan State does best? Win ugly?
Commando basketball is Spartans' speciality and winning at No. 3 Ohio State Saturday was the biggest sign yet that MSU coach Tom Izzo has gotten his program back on track after last season went so horribly wrong.
The Spartans certainly didn't look pretty in the process, but they made their point. It's about controling tempo and hindering the flow of the opposition offensively. Coming up with the loose balls. And scoring when necessary. It's the same fashion the Spartans beat Michigan at home on Super Bowl Sunday.
This is not a great team. It's a young team that is developing around the consummate senior leader in the Draymond Green. But Izzo's best teams, the ones that have gone to the Final Four, have been decidedly flawed in certain ways. It's always been about mental toughness.
The Spartans lost that last season. They've gotten it back.