What MSU's Izzo Said Following Quick Big Ten Tourney Exit

CHICAGO --- Tom Izzo did not seem to be anticipating Michigan State's stay in the Windy City to end that quickly.

"I thought we had great practices [before the Big Ten Tournament]," Izzo said after his team's 88-84 defeat to UCLA in the quarterfinal round. "Not good, great. And I wouldn't have changed one thing, so what happened between that, that's my job to figure out."

Michigan State's Tom Izzo speaks to a referee during a Big Ten Tournament game against UCLA at the United Center on Friday, March 13, 2026. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

The Spartans were widely projected to be a 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament prior to the loss. That doesn't feel like it's as much of a certainty anymore, though losses from both Illinois and Iowa State, two other teams jostling for positioning right around the Spartans, on Friday might have helped MSU's chances.

Michigan State will officially learn what seed it is getting on Sunday evening. The annual "selection show" will air at about 6 p.m. ET on CBS after the Big Ten Tournament championship game wraps up.

Lack of Intensity

Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo watches a play against UCLA during the second half of Big Ten tournament quarterfinal at United Center in Chicago on Friday, March 13, 2026. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

One big thing that stood out from this game is that MSU really didn't play its most intense game. A postseason atmosphere normally raises a team upwards --- as it did for the Bruins --- but Michigan State didn't look like the same team that had just rattled off a 15-5 conference record and had just beaten UCLA soundly a month ago.

"'Out of sorts' is a phrase I used in the huddle a couple times," Izzo said. "I thought we did look out of sorts... I just don't know why yet. That'll be meetings I have with players and trying to figure that out."

Michigan State's Jaxon Kohler looks on during a Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal against UCLA at the United Center on Friday, March 13, 2026. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

UCLA was dribbling the ball wherever it wanted, seemingly, with point guard Donovan Dent pretty consistently getting past Jeremy Fears Jr. or Jordan Scott and then finding open shooters on the perimeter for open threes. The on-ball defense from MSU's guards was simply not good enough; that hasn't usually been much of a problem this season, but it was on Friday.

"I do not think we are playing as good defense as we were [earlier in the season]," Izzo said. "I think we wanted to kind of become an offensive team, and we've just got to get back to who we are and who we've been most of the year."

It's not often this stat is true, but Michigan State has allowed 87, 90, and now 88 points in its last game. That's partially because of Rutgers frantically hitting a bunch of crazy shots at the end of its game in East Lansing and a bunch of foul shots at Michigan, but Friday was an honest-to-God 88-point game for UCLA.

"They [the Bruins] earned the win," Izzo said. "That was not a two- or four-point game. They kicked our you-know-what, and so they deserve to win, but we did not do the things that we've been doing most of the year."

Michigan State's Tom Izzo reacts to a play during a Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal game against UCLA at the United Center on Friday, March 13, 2026. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI