Michigan State has lost its third straight game on Saturday, dropping a matchup with No. 2 Purdue, 80-74, inside of Mackey Arena.
While the loss isn’t what any Spartan fan wanted, the team showed some really good things in this game, while also showing some inconsistencies that have killed this team all season long.
At the end of the day, it ends up being a loss for MSU, dropping the team to 17-12 (9-9 B1G) on the season. If there is any hope of keeping Tom Izzo and the school’s NCAA Tournament streak alive, there is work that desperately needs to be done.
Let’s take away at 3 good and 3 bad takeaways from MSU’s loss to Purdue:
1 good. The team showed life
While a losing effort, and we are not into moral victories here, there is something to say about how the team played tonight. MSU came out of the gates hot, and despite a major lull, they didn’t quit and fought there way right back into the game.
If this team was totally lost, they lose that game by 20+, but they’re not. This team’s fight is something to build on with the two biggest games of the season looming this week.
1 bad. Senior guards
The senior guards aren’t who we expected them to be this season. The factors why that happened can be debated, but at the end of the day, Tyson Walker and A.J. Hoggard are not playing to the level that they need to be playing for MSU to ever reach their ceiling.
2 good. Xavier Booker plays well again
Xavier Booker had another nice showing in Saturday’s game against Purdue, scoring 11 points and boasting a solid +11 +/- when on the floor. Moreso, it finally feels like Izzo is starting to trust the freshman more. This will allow MSU to unlock one more dimension to this team before its all said and done.
2 bad. Another offensive lull
It was another loss that saw the Michigan State offense hit a disgustingly bad offensive lull. The Spartans went almost 15 minutes with only scoring 15-points, seeing their deficit balloon to, you guessed it, 15 points.
This stretch saw the team struggle to make shots and get anything going offensively, which ultimately ended up being their downfall in another game. Michigan State needs to find an answer to stop these offensive droughts from happening.
3 good. Rebounding
Yes, MSU lost the overall rebounding battle 36-33, but that doesn’t tell the whole story. Purdue has Zach Edey, an unguardable 7-foot-4 giant that goes hard on the glass. MSU held Purdue to just 8 offensive rebounds, while collecting 11 for themselves.
Ultimately, the poor shooting performance ended up being the downfall in the rebound department for the Spartans, but I can confidently say it was not a bad rebounding performance from the team.
If MSU is going to do anything to right this ship, continuing to rebound strong and soundly has to happen.
3 bad. Feeling bubbly
There is no other way to put this, MSU is firmly on the bubble after a three game losing streak. The team had a chance to almost lock their bid, and failed miserably. But they’re not dead yet.
MSU has two Q2 opportunities this week, at home v. Northwestern and on the road v. Indiana. Ideally the team wins both, but winning at least one of these games is a non-negotiable.
If the streak is going to live for another year, it is time for this team to step up.
BONUS. Zach Edey is unguardable
Throwing this one in, not because it specifically pertains to MSU, but because we all just watched that game and thought the same thing, what is the whistle Edey gets?
Edey is a gifted player, with unteachable size and has skills, but when the final buzzer sounded, he had taken 20 free throw attempts. His stat line, while impressive, just doesn’t sit right knowing the whistle that favored him all night long.
