Are the Spartans Under More or Less Pressure Now?

The Michigan State Spartans' plans have changed since heading to the West Coast. After their extensive winning streak was snapped by USC, the Spartans still have a chance to walk away from Los Angeles with a split if they can take down the UCLA Bruins on Tuesday.
However, now that MSU has painted a big X on its backs after the impressive run it was on, is it playing under too much pressure? Pressure as in, people are expecting the Spartans to win, and when they don't, they catch strays on social media. At the end of the day, these players are still developing into what their full potential can be.
The narrative has been "Michigan State is the team to be beat" and so far in the Big Ten, that is true. With a down game from senior Jaden Akins, less time on the court from Jaxon Kohler and lack of success from the free-throw line, the nation has put pressure of these young kids.
That being said, MSU can use this as a spark to get back to its winning ways. Now that they do not have the perfect record in conference play, the blemish may allow the Spartans to play with less pressure weighing on their chests.
Coach Tom Izzo can use the loss to the Trojans as a learning moment, giving them more room to grow. In his postgame press conference, Izzo knows exactly what he wants his players to improve on going forward to get back to the win column.
"I though the turnovers took us out first of all, and then they did really hurt us on the offensive glass," the Hall-of-Fame coach said after the loss. "We did not get out and run, because you can't run without the ball, I think their [USC] offensive rebounding had a lot to do with that."
Going into their game with the Bruins, the Spartans should learn from what did not go well against the Trojans and apply that to a hot team riding a win streak of its own, UCLA. The best way to bounce back from losing a long win streak is to end someone else's.
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