For Spartans, Clash with Buckeyes Is a Defining Game
By Max DeMara
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Michigan State needs Tuesday night’s basketball game. It must be won to make amends for the stunning and confusing loss at Iowa on Saturday night.
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As it stands, the embarrassing performance by the Spartans against the Hawkeyes is just one game in a long season. Coach Tom Izzo would be quick to point out however that this one game showcased what he had been warning everyone about for a week. If a team is not clicking on all cylinders at game time, anyone in the Big Ten, top to bottom, can pull the upset.
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There were moments Saturday night where I wondered if I was watching the same team who had out willed BYU in their home state, beaten Texas handily at the Palace and won a gut check road game at Bradley. The team looked lost in the headlights against Iowa. They were sloppy with ball handling, not aggressive enough on offense and unable to get key stops on defense. Instead of doing what coach Izzo loves and running the other team into the ground early and often, the Spartans were lethargic while allowing Iowa to dictate the game pace. When a big shot was needed to pull them ahead or capture slim momentum, nothing fell. Any team, regardless of ranking or status, will lose when they play like that.
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Fortunately for Michigan State, it is very early in the Big Ten season. If this game proved one thing it is that there will be countless upsets this basketball season. Nobody is immune to it and teams will go through bad stretches or hit oil slicks on the road. It is lucky for the Spartans that this loss happened sooner rather than later. Coach Izzo now has all the ammunition to blister the team in practices and get their juices flowing for Tuesday night and beyond. One loss will not eliminate Michigan State from the Big Ten race, especially when they are as deep and talented as they are.
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It is important for the Spartans to get a fast start on Ohio State Tuesday night. The Buckeyes will be ready for the challenge, aiming to take down the Spartans and position themselves in the Big Ten chase. Michigan State must get off to a running start early and play aggressive on the defensive end, forcing turnovers. They will need to go after Ohio State in the post and establish Raymar Morgan to help Drew Neitzel get open looks and build confidence in his struggling stroke. If the Spartans win, they are still very much in the thick of things in the Big Ten. They need to play angry and possessed but with enough control to maintain leads and lengthen possessions. Â
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It is often thought that this early in the season there are no “must win†games. Yet, for a team who has been struggling as of late and coming off a loss, there is no bigger game than Tuesday night. It could define the rest of the season.
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