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The Spartans returned home for a 29-point victory over the USC Trojans last night — a much-needed win after a crushing loss at the hands of Nebraska just days prior.
This was the type of game that rejuvenates a team, strengthens bonds, and sets the tone for the 16 remaining Big Ten games before tournament play. It’s easy to watch a decisive win filled with bench antics, Fears yelling at a smirking Izzo, crowd chaos, Paul Davis getting tossed, and say this team looks good. Hell — they look really good.
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Michigan State won nearly every statistical category and simply looked like the more physical, better-shooting team. And let’s not forget: this wasn’t a tune-up against a lower-tier opponent. USC came in with 12 wins.
Even with a brilliant performance in front of a spectacular, fired-up crowd — one that may or may not have helped swing a few football transfer portal recruits (more on that in my next article) — there are still areas worth examining.
Much like a tree, a Tom Izzo team is always either growing or dying. There is no stagnant middle. And with every win comes moments to learn from and improve upon.
Turnovers
Nineteen turnovers against Nebraska was ugly. Plain and simple. You could almost directly attribute that two-point loss to unforced mistakes with the ball.
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Against USC, the Spartans won the turnover battle — but still gave it away 12 times.
Currently, Michigan State ranks tied for 174th nationally in turnover percentage per possession (14.9%) and tied for 191st in turnovers per game (12.3). Compare that to Nebraska, which ranks 13th nationally at just 9.6 turnovers per game. In my eyes, that’s the difference between undefeated and not.
Izzo knows this team will struggle to keep pace with Michigan and other top-five teams if they can’t control the ball and their emotions. Throwing the ball away is the fastest way to lose a game you’re not supposed to lose.
Now, to be fair, Michigan actually averages more turnovers per game…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/michigan-state-still-needs-clean-200802902.html
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Publish date : 2026-01-06 20:08:00
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