In Tom Izzo's first few seasons as MSU men's basketball head coach, he was flanked by some of the most dominant defensive players in the country, all capable of short-circuiting the opposing offense at will.
It was those early teams that earned Izzo his reputation as a gritty, ugly-wins-are-still-wins coach.
But now, Izzo is flanked by some of the most explosive offensive players in the nation, all capable of leaping over tall buildings — and opposing defenders — in a single bound.
And like any good coach, Izzo has had to adapt his now-infamous style to the strengths of his current team.
"He's definitely tried to become not less defensive oriented but more offensive oriented," senior center Paul Davis said. "But it's still hardnosed, rebound, defense because that helps your offense, and that's what he's trying to teach us."
Where the Spartans used to slow the game down and squeeze the shot clock like a sponge, they're now flying up and down the court on the fast break. Where they used to win 50-48, they might now be winning 100-98.
"He saw what we could do and how we mesh together out there, and that's when I think he really started turning over," Davis said. "It was counterbalance. We were both trying to find a happy medium to do it."
Measuring stick
Because of their differing styles, comparisons are inevitable between the old-school and new-school Spartans.
The national champion MSU team from 1999-2000 scored 80 points in a game 10 times that season. This year's squad has already done it 11 times.
This year's team has held four opponents under 60 points. The 1999-2000 team did that 18 times, including holding Northwestern to a scoreboard-busting 29 points exactly six years ago today.
That's not to say that Izzo's old standbys have been thrown out the window. This year's team is still second in the Big Ten in rebounding margin at plus-6 a game, and it held Ohio State — the conference's highest-scoring team — to just 59 points in a double overtime win earlier this month.
The players know that if you want to play for Izzo, you're still going to get a heavy dose of defense and rebounding.
"A lot of guys around here, they're just like bred dogs, grinders," said freshman forward Marquise Gray, who fell in love with Izzo's smash-mouth style watching all those old teams as a kid. "That's what kind of program we are, and that's what kind of players we are, so that's how we play."
Loosening up
Time has also made Izzo adjust in other ways.
Case in point: Late in the second half against Iowa last week, junior guard Shannon Brown was fouled hard and knocked to the ground going for a layup. After he watched his shot somehow bank in — his second circus shot in as many minutes — Brown sat smiling along the baseline with both arms flexed as his teammates mobbed him and the crowd chanted his name.
In years past, such a celebration might have drawn Izzo's wrath. Not anymore.
"As long as we can have a little fun and not insult anybody or insult our university …" Izzo says, trailing off.
A smile creeps over his face.
"You know, I've probably changed a little bit, too. I can live with a little more than I used to."
Both worlds
All these comparisons beg the question: Which team would win in a matchup of the old Spartans and the new ones?
Davis wonders, too.
"Have them come back — we'll play a game with them," Davis said. "We'll give them a run for it."
But at least as far as Izzo is concerned, the two styles don't need to be compared to each other. Except, of course, for the end result.
The championship team's record through 20 games? 15-5.
This team's record through 20 games? 15-5.
To Izzo, both styles can be successful if they're executed properly.
"I'm a selfish S.O.B. — I want both," Izzo said. "I think we've got a good enough team to be one of the best offensive teams in the country. And yet, to win a championship, we better be one of the best defensive teams in the country.
"I say, if you've got athletes, why not do both?"
