3 Observations from Michigan State's Crushing Loss
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EAST LANSING, Mich. — Besides in the NCAA Tournament, no loss stings Michigan State’s pride more than a loss to Michigan.
That pride got stung, and then some, during the seventh-ranked Spartans’ 83-71 loss to the third-ranked Wolverines. That score doesn’t really reflect how hotly contested the game was in the second half, but it does reflect who the better team was on Friday night.
Smashing the “panic” button would be quite dramatic, but MSU hasn’t looked like a team worthy of a Big Ten championship over the last two games. It took 29 points and nine assists from Jeremy Fears Jr. and an ultra-clutch three from Divine Ugochukwu to squeak by Rutgers. Against Michigan, it was Fears (and probably Jordan Scott) and then everyone else. That can’t happen against an opponent that good.
From the Breslin Center, here are three things I noticed from Michigan State’s loss to its arch-rival.
Dusty May Takes a Seat
MSU fans and the Izzone were out for blood on Friday night. Of course they were — it’s Michigan-Michigan State, and it’s a top-10 matchup.
The buzz was palpable in the building during warmups. The music in the arena felt a little louder, and the Izzone was let in two hours before tip-off, rather than the usual 1.5 hours. By the normal time that doors had opened, the Izzone in the lower bowl had filled up.
Then out came Michigan coach Dusty May. The second his head and his maize quarter-zip peaked out of the Breslin Center tunnel, boos rained down. A “f*** you, Dusty” chant broke out. It’s about as hostile a “welcome” as an opposing coach could ever get.
May didn’t even blink. He went and sat right in front of members of the Izzone in a courtside seat, completely aware of what he was doing. He was unphased, and that’s how his team played on Friday night.
Not exactly a warm welcome for Dusty May…
— Jacob Cotsonika (@jacobcotsonika) January 30, 2026
“F*** you, Dusty” chants started shortly after I stopped recording. pic.twitter.com/x8NWkIUtEi
This isn’t something the Spartans can necessarily improve upon; the atmosphere was as good and hostile as it could really get, especially when MSU was surging in the second half. Regardless, Michigan seemed like the more calm, ready-for-the-moment team down the stretch.
Failure to execute down the stretch against quality teams is becoming a concern for Michigan State. All three of the Spartans’ losses are to AP top-5 opponents, but MSU had serious opportunities to win all three of those games. According to KenPom, Michigan State had a 73.2% chance to win at one point vs. Duke in the second half, a 74.2% chance to beat Nebraska at one point later in the game, and a 60.0% chance to take down Michigan at one point in the second half, too. Assuming those are independent events, MSU only had a 2.77% chance of losing all three of those games.
Fears and Everybody Else
This is the second consecutive game where it’s felt like Fears is the only reliable option on offense. Michigan State is not a team designed to have one player drop 31 points in a game. That many points for Fears is a career-high, and it’s also the most points for a Spartan in one game since Tyson Walker scored 35… in that upset loss to James Madison in the 2023-24 season opener.
Jaxon Kohler finished second on the team with 12 points, but he only shot 4-for-13 from the field and 2-for-7 from beyond the arc. Unfortunately, it feels like Kohler’s shot from beyond the arc is regressing to the mean a bit. Since the West Coast trip began, he’s now just 4-for-22 (18.2%) from deep. His three-point percentage over the last five games has dropped from 51.6% to 43.0% (still very good, but a drop that can’t be ignored).
No Two-Guard Production
Ugochukwu played 12 minutes on Friday, Kur Teng played 11, and Trey Fort played three. MSU’s three two-guards combined to score zero points on Friday.
This is something that just cannot happen. It’s another reason why Fears is having to take on a superstar-sized load on offense — none of the other guards are helping him out enough.
Really, Michigan State’s best two-guard now might be Scott, who provided 10 points, four rebounds, and two steals in 26 minutes off the bench. Another thing to keep an eye on is that Scott started for the Spartans in the second half.
He’s now getting starting-level minutes and is playing like a starter. If he slots into MSU’s first five in the near future, don’t be super surprised.
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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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