The Spartans handled their business with back-to-back home wins last week, thrusting them into a tie for the conference lead.
Now the hard part starts.
MSU (7-7 overall, 2-1 Big Ten) begins arguably the toughest part of its conference schedule today at Northwestern (7-8, 2-2) at 7 p.m. It's the first of three consecutive road games for the Spartans.
MSU head coach Tom Izzo, however, is undaunted by the Spartans' only three-game road stretch of the season. In fact, he said it will show how his team handles its recent success.
"If you want the truth, I'm looking forward to it because I want to see how this team does respond and react," he said. "Whether we get a little big-headed or we think we're a little better than we are or if we're going to take things in a more business-like approach."
After the Wildcats, MSU plays at Purdue, then travels to Minnesota. Purdue is tied for the conference lead with a 2-1 league record. Minnesota is last at 0-3, despite the heroics of freshman sensation Kris Humphries, the Big Ten's leading scorer at 22.5 points per game.
"This is the next big step for us," junior guard Chris Hill said. "We got back and re-established ourselves in the conference, especially defensively. Now we have to carry that same effort over and find ways to win on the road."
The road trip couldn't come at a better time for the Spartans. They've won two straight for the first time since November. The winning streak has given the Spartans a new sense of confidence they haven't had for a while.
Northwestern, which finished 10th in the conference last year with a 3-13 record, might seem like the perfect team for the Spartans to open their three-game road trip against. But in the unpredictable Big Ten race, no team can be taken for granted.
So far, the Wildcats have done their part to shake up the conference. They've already picked up two quality conference wins this season, including an upset of then-No. 25 Illinois on Jan. 14 at home.
Izzo said there are three reasons why the Wildcats have been successful this season: ball control (just nine total turnovers in their last two games), good 3-point shooting (their 35.3 percent is third in the conference) and a legitimate scoring threat in senior guard Jitim Young.
Young is third in the Big Ten in scoring with 18.0 points per game and sixth in steals, averaging 1.87 per contest. Most impressive, though, is that at 6-foot-2, Young averages 6.5 rebounds per game, good for ninth in the league.
Izzo, who recruited Young out of Gordon Tech High School in Chicago, said Young's strength and explosiveness reminds him of former Spartan and current Philadelphia 76ers point guard Eric Snow.
But it is Young's knack for making plays in crunch time that reminds Izzo of another MSU legend.
"He's a little bit like Mateen (Cleaves)," he said. "Not a great shooter, but when it's winning time, he'll take shots, he'll make plays. He just does the things it takes to win."
Despite his gaudy numbers, Young might have to score more points than usual because it's uncertain whether the team's second-leading scorer, junior forward Vedran Vukusic, will take the floor against MSU.
Vukusic has a hyperextended knee and didn't play in the Wildcats' last game, a 73-62 loss at Indiana. He is an excellent 3-point shooter, and at 6-foot 8, he creates matchup problems for opposing teams.
"With him, we're different than we are without him," Northwestern coach Bill Carmody said. "Without him, it's harder for us to score."
