When the MSU men’s basketball program won its last national championship in 2000, the current Spartans were in grade school, still familiarizing themselves with the game of basketball.
Head coach Tom Izzo still was relatively new the coaching ranks and had yet to be tempted by the allure of taking an NBA job — although the offers were coming soon. The Spartans were just three years removed from not even making the NCAA Tournament and were not yet seen as one of college basketball’s elite.
Twelve years later, the 2011-12 MSU team is being compared to the most recent national championship team by many of those who follow the program. Whether it’s the similar style of play, personnel qualities or accomplishments, this season’s group of Spartans tend to remind people of the year 2000.
For the current players, it’s a compliment to be talked about on a similar level as such a team. Starting Friday with a Second Round NCAA Tournament game against LIU Brooklyn, though, MSU will begin its quest to make the comparison even more valid by winning the last game of the season for the first time in more than a decade.
“That’s nice just to even be in the same sentence as them,” said freshman guard Travis Trice, who was seven years old in 2000. “But at the same time, we want to be able to take it even a step further — do something that will add to the history here.”
Stacking up
Since the Spartans’ title vaulted them to the national stage 12 years ago, the 2000 team has been the standard for all other teams to come after it. That group laid out the blueprint Izzo wants his teams to follow, winning games with defense, rebounding and toughness.
For the most part, MSU has been able to do that consistently, reaching four more Final Fours and playing in a total of 15 consecutive NCAA Tournaments.
However, former men’s basketball head coach and current Spartan Sports Network radio commentator Gus Ganakas said those characteristics have been more prevalent than usual this season.
“Both teams won for the same reasons,” said Ganakas. “That 2000 team was good defensively, outrebounded everybody and had a deep bench. The team this year is much the same.”
Statistically, the two teams are nearly identical in two areas that indicate they’re playing basketball the Izzo way.
On the way to the 2000 title, MSU grabbed an average of 11.7 more rebounds per game than its opponents. This season, along with a plus-8.0 advantage on the boards, the Spartans’ defensive field goal percentage (37.8 percent) is the best of the Izzo era and almost 2 percent better than it was in 2000.
The numbers are similar on the offensive end of the court as well, with both teams shooting better than 47 percent and scoring more than 70 points per game.
But Ganakas — who can count the number of games he’s missed in almost 20 seasons on one hand — said it’s the leadership of the two teams that sets them apart from any others in Izzo’s 17 seasons as head coach.
In 2000, it was legendary MSU point guard Mateen Cleaves leading the charge. This year, senior forward Draymond Green has taken on the role. Ganakas said one of the most important things Cleaves and Green did for their respective teams was convince their teammates they could beat anybody they played.
When Cleaves led his team onto the floor, Ganakas said there was a visible confidence in every player. Ganakas now sees the same thing 12 years later.
“In 2000, that team could have beaten anybody, and they knew it,” Ganakas said. “It hasn’t been as easy for this team, but I think the confidence is there now, too.”
Earlier this season, Izzo was asked to compare his current team with one that gave him his only national championship to date. Weary of doing so, Izzo did admit he has a similar confidence to what he had 2000.
“I’m not afraid of just about anybody,” Izzo said. “I’ve had good teams that have been afraid of some teams. … But I would not be afraid to play against — home and away — just about everybody.”
Matching the best
Already this postseason, the Spartans have achieved accomplishments no other MSU team has since 2000.
The Spartans beat Wisconsin in the Big Ten Tournament, advanced to the final and won the whole thing over Ohio State on Sunday — all of which hadn’t been done in 12 years.
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Still, there is one big piece missing.
After a practice last month, Green talked about hypothetical matchups between this year’s team and those of the past.
Confidently, Green said the current MSU group would beat every other one mentioned, including the 2000 squad.
But would he won’t say that to Cleaves. Not until Green and the Spartans finish their business this season.
“I can’t discuss that with him,” Green said laughing. “He has a national championship. What am I going to say?
“I can maybe discuss that at the end of the year.”
