After losing two of the last three games in Big Ten play, Hall of Fame coach Tom Izzo reached deep into the well of motivation by bringing out former baseball star Alex Rodriguez to pump up his team ahead of Michigan State's game against Indiana on  Friday night . 

A-Rod, a fiery competitor who played 22 seasons in the MLB and was a 14-time All-Star, didn't mince words when talking about Sparty's potential this season.

"If you want it, you're world champs," he declared. "You have an abundance of talent. So trust your coaches — there's no better coaching staff in the world than what you have right here."

Michigan State is 16-3 this season despite the two recent slip-ups in league play. And with a favorable schedule -- along with a wealth of talent -- the Spartans are still a trendy pick to make a deep postseason run if they can get past their January slump.

Michigan State plays Indiana at 7 p.m. ET at home on Friday, just six days after suffering a home loss to Michigan.