Michigan State Spartans Pick Wrong Time to Have Worst Game of the Year Losing Here in Champaign 42-41!

Champaign, IL Assembly Hall The Michigan State Spartans came into the evening #9 in the national polls and the Illini came in unimpressed. It was an ugly

Champaign, IL

Assembly Hall

The Michigan State Spartans came into the evening #9 in the national polls and the Illini came in unimpressed. It was an ugly game. It was a brutal game. It was difficult to watch and it was a train wreck.

Illinois shot 32% and MSU shot 24%…for the game! The Spartans had 16 turnovers and the Spartans had four assists on 14 baskets. It was really bad.

Illinois head coach Bruce Weber said of the game, “It was not the prettiest game. It was very very physical. What it is, is a win in the record book against a very good team. I don’t think we could have played a better defensive game. It was a typical Big Ten game and we found a way to win.”

His colleague Tom Izzo added, “That was a hard fought game and one that I am disappointed in. I thought we cracked for the first time. I didn’t think we handled adversity well.”

D.J. Richardson, the Illini guard talked about Weber’s game plan to defeat his good friend Tom Izzo. He said, “Our key coming in and playing aggressive the whole game, playing 94 feet. We tried to ugly the game up.”

Illini super star guard Brandon Paul when asked about the ugly win said, “We really don’t care at all. It is a win. It’s a W and it’s a confidence builder. It was a character game.”

At the 10:66 point of the first half Draymond Green got a technical foul when he thought he was unhappy with an officials lack of a call. That sent Tom Izzo into a rage. A timeout was called when Izzo wouldn’t stop going after his senior star, Green went right back at him. Assistant D.J. Stephens stepped between Izzo and the huddle. Green didn’t come back until the 16-minute mark of the second half.

In fairness Green did have the flu, but his sitting at that point was because of the exchange.

The Spartans shot only 24% for the game. They just looked out of sync, other than Branden Dawson. On a night that his teammates could do nothing the struggling youngster came through. Trying to figure out his role and his place on the team the super talented freshman showed that maybe it’s time to let him loose.

He had a double doube (second of his freshman campaign) with 13 points and 12 rebounds saying after the game, “I wanted to come out with a lot of energy.” He did. Izzo added about Dawson, “He was a little hurt to. Dawson I thought played like a man tonight. I thought he was one of the few guys on our team tonight that did.” When asked what was his medical condition was Dawson said, “Tendonitis in the knee.”

When Draymond Green went down injured at the 3:51 point of the second half and never came back. He hopped off the court and literally laid down on the team bench. He didn’t move until he hopped of the court (with help) at the end. He was not made available after the game to talk.

This loss wasn’t on Izzo. A visibly upset Izzo said afterward, “Couple guys not tough enough. Wood has to grit his teeth.” He went on to add, “Keith (Appling) had a rough night (he shot 1-11) what else can I say. We ran into some adversity and we didn’t handle it very well.”

I think Izzo summed up this game best, “They beat us and they deserved to win.” MSU went on the road, played terrible and still had a chance to win. They did deserve to lose and what stings is simply they could have won it. There are a million scenarios throughout the game that could have helped them win…they didn’t. It wasn’t their night. 

Derrick Nix said of his teams play, “It was a tough loss and we didn’t give it all we had.” True words, but ones that have to hurt in the middle of a Big Ten schedule.

Travis Trice didn’t play in the Spartans last game, but did play six limited minutes tonight. He clarified some of the injury talk when he said, “They are thinking it is not a hernia, now saying it is a groin pull.” He added about his frustration with the loss, “Roughest thing about it (tonight’s loss) is that if I’m not hurt and I practice all week I think we win the game.”

The Spartans don’t have time to sulk. They host their arch rival Michigan on Sunday, February fifth when they try to avenge their loss in Ann Arbor from the 17th of this month.

They Michigan game is a 1 PM tip off and it will air on CBS. With this loss the Spartans record for the season falls to 17-5 (6-3)