In the land of giants, there were times this season when Michigan State center Mady Sissoko looked completely overmatched, if not an outright liability.

Sissoko didn’t come close to the all-conference team, or even earning an honorable mention.

There were 3 bigs on the media all-Big Ten first team: Purdue’s Zach Edey, Indiana’s Trayce Jackson-Davis and Michigan’s Hunter Dickinson.

Rutgers’ Clifford Omoruyi made the second team.

Filip Rebraca, the version of a big in Iowa’s lineup, was third team.

Maryland’s Julian Reese, Minnesota’s Dawson Garcia and Nebraska’s Derrick Walker were honorable mention.

And though he didn’t make any all-conference teams, Northwestern’s Matthew Nicholson was certainly a more imposing presence in the paint than Sissoko. According to KenPom, Nicholson ranked 4th in the B1G in offensive rebounding percentage and blocked shot percentage.

Illinois’ Dain Dainja is also a far more accomplished offensive player than Sissoko, averaging 9.5 points per game to Sissoko’s 5.1 ppg.

In Big Ten play, there wasn’t a player who turned the ball over at a higher rate than Sissoko at 32.8% of his possessions. The next closest candidate, Minnesota’s Pharrell Payne, was at 25.1%.

Any way you slice it, then, it’s hard to make an argument that Sissoko is even a Top 10 center in the Big Ten.

But the point of this is not to pick on Sissoko, who didn’t pick up a basketball until he was 15. Of course he’s raw. He’s also using his NIL money to build a school in his native Mali, which is more impressive than anything Edey or Jackson-Davis has done on the court.

There’s no shade being thrown here. The object of pointing out Sissoko’s B1G struggles is to illustrate that they no longer matter.

This is the NCAA Tournament. And center is now the least important position on the floor.

That’s why a team that went 11-8 in conference play is the last Big Ten team standing.

This is what Tom Izzo realizes.

And until more of his Big Ten brethren catch on, he’ll frequently continue to be the last B1G coach standing in March.

January, February, Izzo (and guards)

Other than the preponderance of bigs, there is another thing that sticks out from this year’s all-Big Ten team.

Only 2 teams produced 2 all-conference guards. Michigan State and Northwestern.

It’s no coincidence, then, that the Spartans are the last Big Ten team left standing. Or that the Wildcats came closest of any other B1G team in joining them in the Sweet 16. (Penn State, which utilizes all-conference power forward Seth Lundy as a second shooting guard on offense, also came close to a Second Round upset.)

Izzo knows it’s all about the guards when you get out of Big Ten play. And it’s worth taking some lumps in both the conference schedule and Michigan State’s always sturdy non-conference schedule if it means your team can actually succeed in March.

This season is also proof that an old dog can be amenable to some new tricks.

Last year, Izzo insisted on playing AJ Hoggard and Tyson Walker as a point guard platoon. It made sense, because the Spartans had to accommodate for one-and-done Max Christie at shooting guard.

But it just didn’t work.

The backcourt was disjointed, ranking 209th nationally in turnover rate.

This year, with Hoggard handling the point 75% of the time rather than just under half, things are much smoother. Michigan State is 61st nationally with a 16.3% turnover rate.

That might not necessarily sound great, but it’s actually historic.

This is the least any Izzo team has turned the ball over, beating the 17.4% mark posted by the 2015 Final Four team. And that’s how the Spartans are still alive despite this being the worst offensive rebounding team Izzo has ever coached.

Against smaller bigs, Sissoko shines

Freed from the Big Ten’s bruisers, we’re beginning to see a lot more to Sissoko’s game than conference play revealed.

Most notably, he’s a better rim protector than you’d expect from a guy who ranked 19th in the B1G in blocked shots. When it’s opposing guards driving to the rim rather than opposing bigs muscling up on him, Sissoko is a defensive factor.

Sissoko has 2 blocked shots in each of Michigan State’s NCAA Tournament wins, including a pair in the final 4 minutes against Marquette. Now that he’s not being asked to stop the best player on the opposing team, Sissoko is thriving.

We’re in the second week of the NCAA Tournament now. Gonzaga is the only team left with a center as its best player. And if the Spartans see the Zags again, it’ll be a rematch of a game Gonzaga won by 1 point on an aircraft carrier. For the national championship.

Michigan State would gladly take its chances with that matchup. Sissoko’s 14-point, 9-rebound effort against Drew Timme was arguably his best performance this season.

And that’s the thing about this roster. Izzo doesn’t need his big to do what Edey, Jackson-Davis or Dickinson do on a nightly basis. Getting a double-double from his big is a bonus, not a necessity.

And that’s something more Big Ten coaches need to take note of.