Turnovers are Leading Factor in Spartans' Recent Losses

The Michigan State Spartans have now lost consecutive games for the first time this season, and a major reason for their recent struggles is the inability to take care of the basketball and win the turnover battle.

Feb 4, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Michigan State Spartans forward Jaxon Kohler (0) and UCLA Bruins center Aday Mara (15) reach for a loose ball in the first 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 (18-4, 9-2) have struggled in their last two games to take care of the basketball, which has led to back-to-back losses for the first time this season. There is a heightened sense of urgency to being able to win the turnover battle.

In Tuesday night's loss to the UCLA Bruins (17-6, 8-4), the Spartans turned the ball over 16 times. The Bruins capitalized on Michigan State's struggles, scoring 19 points off the Spartans' turnovers. The Green and White forced just three turnovers, putting them at a massive disadvantage throughout the entire contest.

"We turned the damn ball over 16 times to their three and that was the difference in the game," said Spartans coach Tom Izzo following the upset loss. "That, along with a couple things at the end there... To beat good teams on the road, you got to play hard enough, but you got to play smart enough. I thought we made some plays early in that game that weren't smart enough, so that's the only disappointment I had."

Michigan State's top two big men, junior forward Jaxon Kohler and junior center Carson Cooper, had three turnovers each. Redshirt freshman guard Jeremy Fears Jr. coughed it up three times himself, leading to missed opportunities when the Spartans needed a key basket late in the game.

Kohler had a chance to give the Spartans a lead in a tie game on their second-to-last possession but ultimately traveled to give the ball back to UCLA. The Bruins' would hit the go-ahead shot on that possession as senior guard Jaden Akins failed to hit the game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer.

The Spartans did a great job on the glass as they out-rebounded the Bruins, 45-27, but coughing up the ball as much as they did makes it extremely difficult to win any game. The Bruins took seven more shots in the game due to the number of extra possessions they received off the Spartans' turnovers.

Including the 13 turnovers it had against the USC Trojans in last weekend's loss, Michigan State has lost the turnover battle, 29-14, over its last two games, both resulting in losses. It currently ranks third-worst in the Big Ten, allowing 12.2 turnovers per contest.

If Izzo's group continues to give the ball away like they have been recently, it will require them to score at a much higher clip to win games. They shot just under their average of 46.8% from the field against UCLA, which is not terrible but must be higher if they are giving away numerous possessions.

Michigan State will have a chance to snap its two-game skid this Saturday as it will host the Oregon Ducks (16-6, 5-6) at the Breslin Center. The Ducks are forcing 12.4 turnovers per game, which is right on the Spartans' average. Michigan State will have to go under that number to find a much-needed win.

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