Road Trip Proves Brutal for Michigan State

The Michigan State Spartans went winless on their West Coast road trip. What did we learn?

Feb 4, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Dylan Andrews (2) looses control of the ball as he is pressured by Michigan State Spartans guard Jaden Akins (3) in the second half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The No. 9 Michigan State Spartans lost their second consecutive game, losing a close one in the final minute to UCLA, 63-61. 

MSU had a chance to take the lead late, but Jaxon Kohler traveled after an offensive rebound. Eric Dailey Jr. banked in a tough layup to give UCLA the lead, which was the nail in the coffin. 

Tom Izzo’s chances of tying Bob Knight’s Big Ten wins record will have to wait. The Spartans lost both games on their West Coast road trip. 

What did we learn about this team as it has now tumbled twice in a row? 

We already knew this, but this team really struggles to shoot the ball. The Spartans’ free-throw and 3-point percentage disparity is perplexing. They seem to have no issue knocking down shots at the line but cannot connect from deep. 

Jaden Akins had one of his better games in a while. He was instrumental in cutting into a double-digit Bruins lead and eventually taking that lead back. He was assertive and connected on his shots from beyond the arc. 

This game may have shown Izzo who his "go-to" scorer is. If Akins can build off this game, expect No. 3 to be "the guy" in close games going forward. 

MSU needs Jeremy Fears Jr. to be more aggressive. He is passive at times, which takes away opportunities to score in the half-court. If he can put more pressure on the rim, he can draw fouls for himself or open things up for his teammates. 

This team was sloppy with the basketball on the road trip. Granted, UCLA is a good defensive team, but the Spartans had far too many unforced turnovers. No team can win by beating themselves, and MSU did that way too many times. 

MSU’s defense slipped up a bit at times on the road trip against UCLA and USC, but still played well overall. The Spartans need to defend guards better than they did on the trip and put their hands up against shooters more consistently. 

The toughest stretch of Michigan State’s season is still to come, so hopefully for the Spartans, they can learn quickly from this brutal two-game stretch out west. 

There is still a lot of talent on this team, and the second half against UCLA was encouraging in a tough environment. Regroup, knock down a few more shots, take care of the basketball, and things will get back on track. 

The tough opponents don’t stop, however, as Oregon comes to East Lansing on Saturday.

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