Tom and Steven Izzo's season to remember

The big picture: The father-son moments have brightened an otherwise disappointing season for the Spartans (18-12, 10-9 Big Ten), who are fighting to make the NCAA Tournament after being early national championship contenders.

Flashback: Steven Izzo's first career bucket was this season against Rutgers — an absolute circus shot — and it sent Breslin Center fans into a frenzy.

Between the lines: As Steven Izzo's five-year career as a walk-on comes to an end, the Izzo family has opened up about his adoption and newfound curiosity about his biological mother.

• "I get emotional because I think of how wrong this all could've gone, and how right it went," Steven Izzo recently told The Athletic. "What are the chances?"

What's next: Michigan State's final regular-season game is at 4:30pm Sunday at Indiana (17-13, 9-10 Big Ten).

• A win and the Spartans all but guarantee an NCAA Tournament berth.

Meanwhile, Michigan (8-22, 3-16 Big Ten) will miss its second straight NCAA Tournament unless it wins the Big Ten edition first, raising doubts about coach Juwan Howard's future.