Couch: Struggling to recapture its mojo, MSU basketball heads to Illinois for a game that’s still mighty interesting

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Before Michigan State lost three of its last four games, the Spartans’ next game — this Saturday night at Illinois — was one I had circled.

The first meeting felt like two heavyweights, with MSU edging Illinois 80-78 on Jan. 19. The Illini thought the outcome would have been different had their star freshman guard Kasparas Jakucionis not been in foul trouble. Who knows? It certainly didn’t seem like a game the Spartans would have won without the backing of the Breslin Center crowd.

Now, with MSU struggling to find the mojo it had back then and in danger of falling from touching distance in the Big Ten title race, and Illinois fans frothing at the mouth to welcome the Spartans to the State Farm Center to set the record straight, the game is every bit as interesting as it ever was. And, for MSU, it might be actually be a good time for this matchup.

It could go horribly, of course. But the Spartans could also be better off right now not facing an opponent they’re supposed to beat. They played so tight against Indiana on Tuesday night with so much at stake and in front of so many people they didn’t want to disappoint.

Now MSU (19-5, 10-3 Big Ten) is potentially walking into a buzzsaw, a game no one expects the Spartans to win. It’s a game that’s a challenge all its own, beyond the Big Ten title chase. If MSU somehow wins, it’ll calm the waters, put the Spartans back in the hunt and reinvigorate all the possibilities for this season.

Michigan State’s Jaden Akins, left, and Jaxon Kohler, right, pressure Illinois’ Kylan Boswell during the second half on Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing.

History says it’s not yet time to panic

It’s is important to remember that the bump in the road MSU is enduring right now is not out of the ordinary for MSU’s best seasons in recent times. In fact, just about every MSU basketball season you might look back on fondly over the last 15 years included a similar swoon in February or late January.

Remember…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/couch-struggling-recapture-mojo-msu-135633208.html

Author : Lansing State Journal

Publish date : 2025-02-13 13:56:00

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