Michigan State Needs to Start Games Stronger

The No. 7 Michigan State Spartans lost their first Big Ten game of the season to the USC Trojans, who got out to a large first-half lead and never looked back.
Feb 1, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA;  Michigan State Spartans guard Tre Holloman (5) dribbles down the sideline against the USC Trojans at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: William Navarro-Imagn Images
Feb 1, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Michigan State Spartans guard Tre Holloman (5) dribbles down the sideline against the USC Trojans at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: William Navarro-Imagn Images / William Navarro-Imagn Images

The No. 7 Michigan State Spartans lost their first conference game to the USC Trojans on Saturday, ending a 13-game win streak.

The Spartans continued a concerning trend, getting out to a slow start against the Trojans. In the past, Michigan State has overcome early deficits thanks to its elite bench play.

Spartans coach Tom Izzo’s starting five isn’t the most talented in the Big Ten -- when Michigan State matches up with other starting rotations, they are typically at a talent disadvantage.

Against USC, tipping off the first of a two-game West Coast road trip, the Spartans started slow and never recovered. 

Trojans guard Desmond Claude set the tone, taking advantage of the Spartans' lackluster start, scoring 11 points in the first 8 minutes, giving USC a 15-point lead.

Then, the Michigan State bench made an impact, with freshman guard Jase Richardson leading the effort to claw back. The Spartans closed the half on a 25-13 run, cutting the deficit to 3.

In the second half, Michigan State wasn’t able to overcome a plethora of missed free throws and turnovers to sustain the level of play that it closed the first half with. 

For the first time this season, the Spartans never led -- their poor starts finally caught up to them. Against Illinois and Rutgers, the starting five faltered in similar fashion. But bench play and suffocating defense were the primary reasons for the Spartans comebacks.

If the Spartans can survive the first 8 minutes by keeping games close, then their bench play can create leads instead of fighting to cut their deficits.

By no means is one loss a reason to make major changes to the starting lineup, but the Spartans need to put an emphasis on entering games with more production from their starters.

The Spartans are in the middle of the pack when it comes to making a “kill shot” run, a concept coined by statistician Evan Miyakawa. But the Spartans will be more dangerous if they can utilize these kill shots to separate from teams instead of cutting into deficits.

The Spartans will need to begin their next game against the UCLA Bruins with a strong start to lessen their chances of dropping two straight games for the first time this season.

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