Spartan Avenue
Fansided

Michigan State Basketball: Should Spartans be worried after Indiana win?

By Connor Muldowney

EAST LANSING, MI - JANUARY 31: Head coach Tom Izzo of the Michigan State Spartans talks to Cassius Winston #5 of the Michigan State Spartans during a game against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Breslin Center on January 31, 2018 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)
EAST LANSING, MI - JANUARY 31: Head coach Tom Izzo of the Michigan State Spartans talks to Cassius Winston #5 of the Michigan State Spartans during a game against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Breslin Center on January 31, 2018 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

It’s not always pretty, but Michigan State basketball took care of Indiana on Saturday night. Should the Spartans be worried after the close win?

As the final heave barreled toward the hoop, fans, players and coaches in Assembly Hall collectively held their breath as it seemed like the ball was in the air for eternity. Indiana’s last-second shot attempt from about 50 feet away caromed off the back of the rim and out. Michigan State escaped with a 63-60 win.

Must Read: MSU Basketball: Game-by-game predictions for February

While a win in Assembly Hall is always impressive, the way the Spartans did it was almost unprecedented. They were out-rebounded 53-29 and they hit just 8-of-17 free throws. It was a recipe for disaster, but the Spartans found a way to win.

So should the Spartans be worried about this performance?

No, we shouldn’t be worried, and here’s why.

It’s safe to assume that Tom Izzo is going to bring out the football equipment in practice over the next week to prepare for Iowa and Purdue. Such a major rebounding discrepancy cannot go unnoticed, or unpunished, and Izzo realizes that.

Moreover, the Spartans haven’t been out-rebounded like this in years. Izzo admitted that this performance on the glass was an insult to him and the teams of years past. It was a very un-Izzo-like performance. That’ll be fixed quickly and you can bet that won’t happen again.

Also, the Spartans are in the midst of a heavy workload, schedule-wise, and they’ve still managed to win six straight games, three of which have come away from home. With all that’s going on off the court with Izzo and the OTL report, the team has handled distractions well and has still found ways to win with odds stacked against it.

Next: MSU Basketball: 5 bold predictions for February

Fatigue is obvious, but the mental toll these past two weeks have taken on the Spartans is real, too. However, there’s no need to worry as games like Saturday night’s win over Indiana will help this team in March.

Home/Spartans Basketball