3 Observations from Michigan State's Defeat vs. Duke
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EAST LANSING, Mich. — These types of results always hurt. No. 7 Michigan State had a real chance to make another statement and place itself among the top teams in the country, but fourth-ranked Duke surged in the closing moments to take the game at the Breslin Center, 66-60.
The good part is that it’s only Dec. 6, and a 3-1 record against the Blue Devils, North Carolina, Arkansas, and Kentucky during the non-conference schedule is still a result I think most Spartan fans would have taken before the season began.
Sometimes when you face good teams, you lose. That’s one of the beauties of college basketball: everyone is going to drop a game here and there. It’s about preventing losses from stacking.
This one still stings a bit, though. Here are a few things I noticed from Saturday’s game.
Very Limited Looks Inside
Save Carson Cooper, who had 16 points and a career-high 16 rebounds, it was a tough day for the Spartans inside the arc. MSU actually shot better one threes (36.4%) than on twos (29.5%). With Cooper taken out, the Spartans shot just 19.4% on two-pointers.
Michigan State actually scored 26 points in the paint to the Blue Devils’ 24, but it didn’t feel like that watching the game, partially because Duke shot more three-pointers and free throws.
The shooting from deep seemed to be the main problem for MSU earlier on this year, but the Spartans have seemed to progress to the mean now. Per KenPom, Michigan State’s three-point shooting percentage ranks higher than its two-point percentage.
Much of that has to fall to MSU’s backcourt. The two starters, Jeremy Fears Jr. and Kur Teng, went a combined 0-for-15 from the field, with 10 of those misses being from inside the arc. To beat a team like Duke, scoring from those two is absolutely necessary, and the Spartans didn’t get it on Saturday.
Free Throw Cutouts
Something Tom Izzo stressed with absolute importance following the game was the fact that Duke got multiple offensive rebounds off of missed free throws. Those extra opportunities allowed the Blue Devils to add some second-chance points, which are absolutely vital in a game like this one.
It was superstar freshman Cameron Boozer who did it several times. After a quiet first half, the future NBA lottery pick came alive after the break, scoring 16 points and grabbing eight rebounds in the final 20 minutes, despite dealing with some foul trouble.
The Blue Devils ended up out-rebounding the Spartans, 44-43. That’s not something many teams that come into the Breslin Center do.
Jordan Scott Makes Statement
Somebody who got a lot of playing time on Saturday and who deserves more going forward is Jordan Scott. Much of the debate has been between Teng and Trey Fort to be the two-guard, but Scott may be the Spartans’ solution.
Scott finished Saturday’s game with six points, five rebounds, two blocks, and a steal. His impact felt greater than that, though.
He’s another prototypical Izzo player who is ready and willing to do some of the dirty work. I don’t think that Teng or Fort are soft, but I do think that Scott is playing harder than them right now, and I think Izzo is beginning to see that.
Scott played 26 minutes on Saturday; Teng and Fort played 19 combined.
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A 2025 graduate from Michigan State University, Cotsonika brings a wealth of experience covering the Spartans from Rivals and On3 to his role as Michigan State Spartans Beat Writer on SI. At Michigan State, he was also a member of the world-renowned Spartan marching band for two seasons.
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