Did MSU’s Loss to Indiana Derail the Season?
The Michigan State Spartans have lost three of their last four games, most recently falling to the Indiana Hoosiers in East Lansing. Going into the game, MSU was less than one game out of first place, but as the Big Ten race continues to get thicker, did the loss derail the Spartans' season?
After MSU's 13-game winning streak came to an end, the schedule has not been favorable, and it only gets worse. Although the Spartans are still ranked No. 11, they have not played the best basketball as of late, or at least the type of basketball fans are used to.
Losing to Indiana was not ideal. If the Spartans were to have walked out of that game with the victory, the program would be sitting in a first-place tie with their in-state rivals, the Michigan Wolverines. Not only does losing to the Hoosiers dampen the mood, but it also shows that MSU might be feeling the pressure.
On the winning streak, everything was going right. Since losing the streak, it almost seems like the basketball gods are reminding them what it feels like back down on earth. With the Purdue Boilermakers and Wolverines near on the schedule, MSU's next game against the Illinois Fighting Illini is a must-win.
That game will be in Champaign; perhaps that is what the program needs to find its groove again. Going into a hostile territory can help these young players bond with one another to drown out the noise from the opposition while also boosting team morale if they can walk away victorious.
With the Spartans having attained just one victory in their last four games, it is crucial this late into the season to come away with wins at any cost. Lucky for MSU, freshman guard Jase Richardson has stepped up in the scoring department, which has been heavily reliant on Jaden Akins.
If MSU can't find its mojo, the Big Ten race could slip out of its hands, when many thought that it was going to win it. Going from the top of the world to losing to a team that you should have beaten at home has given the Spartans a new outlook for the remainder of the season. It is up to them to go to work.
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Dominic Minchella holds a communications degree from Eastern Michigan University. He is a former MLB writer and joins our team ad an NFL/College team reporter on Sports Illustrated