"In the Battle of Basketball, Lessons Learned and Wins Earned"

Learning from Tough Opponents

After Samford fought valiantly like a pack of junkyard dogs in the Spartans' eventual 83-75 win, McMillan reflected on the difficulty of scheduling in today's analytics-driven era. He praised Izzo for his fearless approach to playing any opponent at any time and anywhere. Izzo believes that such games sharpen his team for Big Ten play and prepare them for the ultimate goal – playing in March and advancing in the NCAA tournament. Take, for instance, his team's road trip to face Wright State in late 1999. Without Mateen Cleaves, they lost but then went on to win a third straight regular-season conference crown and capture both the league tournament title and Izzo's lone national championship with a perfect record.

Recently, Izzo has started focusing on home games against higher-level competition like James Madison last year and Samford on Tuesday. He believes that a tough schedule helps his team improve and be better prepared for the challenges ahead. As he said, "You play three or four teams (because) you have to play somebody at home, so we said we gotta upgrade a little bit in the mid-major deal. This was a hell of an upgrade. I give them a lot of credit. I think they’re gonna be really good."

Benefits for Players and Coaches

Samford, under McMillan's leadership, has won back-to-back Southern Conference championships in the past two seasons and has a remarkable record of 81-43 since he took over in 2020. McMillan emphasized the importance of these games as blueprints for identifying areas that need improvement. Just like his team learned from their early losses to Purdue and VCU last year and then performed significantly better against Kansas in the NCAA tournament first round, facing tough opponents early helps teams grow.

Senior guard Jaden Akins, who scored a career-high 25 points, also noticed the impact of these games. He said that facing a team that presses them the whole game and challenges them early shows their resilience and will be crucial for their future. McMillan added that the in-your-face style of defense his team employs has helped them but has also been a reason why major schools often avoid playing them. Izzo, during the early years of his tenure, navigated similar situations as MSU rose to national power with eight Final Fours since 1998.

Preparing for Maui Invitational

Now, Michigan State (4-1) is set to hit the road and potentially face some of the basketball bluebloods in next week's three-day Maui Invitational. They start with a 5 p.m. Monday opener against Colorado (ESPN2). The Buffaloes (4-0) have yet to play a major-conference opponent, and the Spartans will see how their experiences against tough teams like Kansas, Bowling Green, and Samford have prepared them for this tournament setting. Izzo is confident that they will reap the benefits quickly. As he said, "I think we’ll reap the benefits quickly. I know Colorado, the next team we play, presses some. This game will help us. I hate to admit it, but you play these games and everybody (fans) just wants the Kansas games."

In conclusion, these games against tough opponents are not just about wins and losses but about learning, growing, and preparing for the long journey in basketball. As McMillan said, "You kind of find out your weaknesses. If you just play a weak schedule, you don’t find out your weaknesses until it’s too late. You’d rather do it early than late."