Five Takeaways: Michigan State overpowered by Zach Edey, No. 1 Purdue
It was a tough afternoon for Tom Izzo and Michigan State men's basketball in West Lafayette, as the Spartans were defeated soundly by No. 1 Purdue at Mackey Arena.
Here are five takeaways from the game:
1.) No Answers For Zach Edey
Despite giving up a career-high 32 points to Purdue's big man in the first matchup between these two teams, I actually felt like Michigan State defended Edey about as well as could be expected. Edey leads the Big Ten in shooting percentage (61.1) and the Spartans held him to 50 percent shooting in that first game.
That wasn't the case today however, as Michigan State had no answers for Purdue's monster in the middle. Edey set a new career high with 38 points on 15-of-24 shooting, and added 13 rebounds for the Boilermakers.
The Spartans threw Mady Sissoko, Jaxon Kohler and Carson Cooper all at Edey, and tried to double-down on the big man at times too. None of it worked.
2.) Spartans shoot well, but too many TOs
Michigan State could not get stops on the defensive end, but the Spartans clawed their way back from a 20-point deficit in the second half by being efficient on offense. MSU shot 48 percent from the floor and 50 percent from three-point range.
However, the Spartans hurt themselves with 14 turnovers, which can't happen against a team like Purdue. The Boilermakers are hard enough to defend without turning the ball over, and MSU surrendered 22 points off their giveaways.
3.) A.J. Hoggard, Jaden Akins played well
While it wasn't a good day for Michigan State as a whole, both A.J. Hoggard and Jaden Akins played solid games for the Spartans.
Hoggard scored a team-high 20 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the floor and 7-of-9 from the free throw line. The junior added four rebounds, six assists and a steal. Meanwhile, Akins added 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting, adding two rebounds and two assists.
Hoggard and Akins will be the likely starting backcourt tandem for the Spartans next season, and it they have the potential to be the best in the Big Ten.
4.) Tough days for Tyson Walker, Joey Hauser
After scoring 30 against Purdue in the first matchup, Tyson Walker really struggled in this one. The senior shot just 4-of-11 from the floor on his way to nine points. He did not attempt a three-pointer today.
Walker hasn't looked like himself since he had that bout with a stomach virus ahead of the Indiana game. In the past three games, he's shot 12-for-32 from the floor (37.5 percent) and 2-for-7 from deep (28.6 percent).
It was also a forgettable afternoon for senior Joey Hauser, who was limited to just three points on just four shot attempts. Hauser and Walker are Michigan State's two leading scorers, and the Spartans had no chance in this game with both guys being held to single digits.
5.) Michigan State is out of the Big Ten race
It was always an outside shot that this Spartans squad would compete for a Big Ten regular season title in 2022-23, but this loss pretty much seals their fate.
Purdue is running away with the conference, and now has a four-game lead and two head-to-head wins over Michigan State. Over the last two and a half seasons, the Spartans are 26-25 in Big Ten play, well below the standard of this program. MSU last won a share of the league's regular season title in 2019.
Up Next
Michigan State (14-8 overall, 6-5 Big Ten) has five days to lick its wounds and get ready for their next opponent. The Spartans will travel to New York City on Feb. 4 for a "neutral site" game against Rutgers (14-6, 6-3). MSU defeated the Scarlet Knights, 70-57, back on Jan. 19 in East Lansing.
After that, Michigan State returns home on Feb. 7 when they host Maryland (14-7, 5-5) in the first and only matchup between the Spartans and Terrapins this season.
