Will Michigan State rise up, or fall short, as Big Ten play concludes?

The Spartans' backs are to the wall, but opportunities await as the race for a conference championship winds down

Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo admitted to being frustrated following the Spartans’ 62-58 loss at Penn State on Tuesday. The head coach lamented the Spartans lack of effort, stating they had gotten “punked and pushed around” by the Nittany Lions.

“I’ve been taking the blame when I deserve the blame,” he said. “And, right now, when you get that many loose balls and don’t come up with them, somebody on the floor has got to look in the mirror.”

Michigan State is more talented than Penn State, but the Nittany Lions played harder. No player epitomized that more than Penn State’s John Harrar, who had 16 points and 16 rebounds against the Spartans. Six of his rebounds came at the offensive end of the floor.

“We defended well enough on [Penn State’s] first attempt, but the second attempt Harrar killed us in there – getting six offensive rebounds and scoring on just about all of them,” Izzo said.

“There’s no question – John Harrar was the difference in the game. He’s done something that’s illegal now, he’s gone through the process, he’s done a nice job of that and he’s gotten better every year. Doesn’t complain about what he’s doing, just keeps getting stronger, better. And, tonight, he was the hero.”

Michigan State needs more guys playing the way Harrar did against the Spartans – with reckless abandon, with a sense of urgency, with pure determination.

“There’s been a sense of urgency for me since January. Sense of urgency never changes for me,” Izzo said. “You don’t have urgency because you lose – then, that’s a losing program, and we’re not a losing program. We’ve just got some guys that don’t understand what it takes.”

That’s a scalding remark from the head coach – a remark that does come from a place of understanding. Izzo has been here many times before, battling for a Big Ten championship at the conclusion of Febraury and with March right around the corner.

Many of his teams have gotten the job done, and several have fallen short.

“I’ve told my players, that’s the way the league’s going to be,” Izzo said. “One, two and three point games. They’re all going to be that way.”

One month ago, Michigan State was 14-2 and off to a 5-0 start in Big Ten play. Just a little over two weeks ago, the Spartans were still in good shape – 17-4 overall, and in first place in the Big Ten at 8-2.

Things have gone awry since.

Michigan State has lost three out of its last four games, and is just 4-5 in its last nine games. After spending the majority of the first half of Big Ten play at or near the top of the conference standings, the Spartans have slipped to sixth place in the league.

Michigan State’s chances at a conference championship will be determined in their next two homes games – Feb. 19 against Illinois, and Feb. 26 against Purdue – sandwiched around a road trip to Iowa on Feb. 22.

Even with this bad stretch over the past couple weeks, the Spartans remain only two games out of first place in the league standings. Michigan State has three games against teams currently ahead in the standings. Those are opportunities.

But the effort and energy level the Spartans played with on Tuesday at Penn State is not enough to stay in the race for a Big Ten championship. It’s now or never for this squad – either they’ll be remembered as one of Izzo’s teams that rose to the occasion, or as one of the teams that fell short.

Tipoff is scheduled for noon on Saturday at the Breslin Center, and the Fighting Illini await.