3 Observations from Michigan State's Rocky Victory over OSU
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EAST LANSING, Mich. — “Not pleased” was the attitude seeping through the Michigan State program on Sunday afternoon.
The 15th-ranked Spartans (22-5 overall, 12-4 Big Ten) put together a 66-60 win over Ohio State (17-10, 9-7), but there were definitely a couple of glaring issues in this one. Head coach Tom Izzo seemed to be speaking like MSU had lost after the game.
“Hey, I thought my guys played great,” Izzo said with an immeasurable amount of sarcasm to open his postgame presser. “You did a good job. Players did everything right. I think Ohio State played better than we did (with much less sarcasm), but we sure didn’t do anything wrong (with much more sarcasm).”
The message right now is unmistakable: Michigan State has to play better, or the Spartans’ runs in the Big Ten and NCAA Tournaments are not going to last very long. It’s tough to disagree. These are the three things that stood out from MSU's win over the Buckeyes that seems to come with a big “yeah, but…” attached:
Kohler Plays with Two Fouls
Izzo likes playing a guy with two fouls prior to halftime like the average dog or cat likes bath time. He hates it, you know he hates it, but it still happens once in a while.
Jaxon Kohler took two fouls just 15 seconds apart early on in this one, having to go to the bench with 16:58 remaining in the first half. Michigan State isn’t really a team that can go 17 minutes without its more offensive-minded big, and it really couldn’t in this one. Izzo turned and put Kohler back into the game with 5:49 remaining in the half, probably seeking an offensive spark, given that the Spartans only had 14 points at that point in the game.
For a moment, it worked. Kohler hit a three-pointer shortly after subbing into the game. But he ended up picking up his third foul of the first half. Kohler was limited to just five minutes in the first half and 17 for the game, eventually fouling out for the very first time in his career. Izzo also had fun with the media and critics who think he should put in players with two fouls into the game more often.
“When he got that third foul, I was thinking of all you guys [in the media],” Izzo said. “I was thinking of all the fans… I’ll let you write your articles, and you hopefully will let me coach my team.”
Big Day for OSU’s Thornton
Michigan State also couldn’t seem to find a way to defend Ohio State star guard Bruce Thornton. The Spartans have had success defending some elite guards in past games, most notably holding Big Ten Player of the Year candidate Keaton Wagler to a 2-for-16 night from the field, but Thornton certainly did not do that.
He ended up dropping 32 points, the second-most in a Big Ten game during his four-year career at OSU. Thornton was essentially Ohio State’s only option on offense — second- and third-leading scorers John Mobley and Devin Royal both did not play. If MSU kept the lid on Thorton, this one likely would’ve reached blowout territory.
Scott Continues Progression
Jordan Scott was, again, one of Michigan State’s best players in this one. He played a season-high 31 minutes, and that is for a reason. Scott scored 12 points (4-for-7 shooting) while also recording four rebounds, three assists, and a block.
Freshmen are not really a thing at this point in the season. Scott has 27 games of experience now. He’s not facing a power-conference team for the first time ever anymore. The novel experiences left for him are, essentially, the Big Ten and the NCAA Tournament.
He’s also becoming more and more reliable as he gains that experience. Scott has now been in double figures as a scorer in six consecutive games, averaging 11.5 points over that stretch. In the 21 games prior to that, Scott reached 10+ points just once and had averaged 4.5 points per contest.
“I’m always assured that he’s got some passion and some energy,” Izzo said about Scott. “That is a treat right now. I always say I don’t want him to change, because sometimes the systems change you, and he’s been really, really good at that.”
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A 2025 graduate from Michigan State University, Cotsonika brings a wealth of experience covering the Spartans from Rivals and On3 to his role as Michigan State Spartans Beat Writer on SI. At Michigan State, he was also a member of the world-renowned Spartan marching band for two seasons.
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