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Michigan State Basketball: 3 takeaways from loss to No. 9 Wisconsin

By Connor Muldowney

EAST LANSING, MICHIGAN - DECEMBER 25: Brad Davison #34 and Nate Reuvers #35 of the Wisconsin Badgers box out Marcus Bingham Jr. #30 of the Michigan State Spartans in the first half of the game against at Breslin Center on December 25, 2020 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)
EAST LANSING, MICHIGAN - DECEMBER 25: Brad Davison #34 and Nate Reuvers #35 of the Wisconsin Badgers box out Marcus Bingham Jr. #30 of the Michigan State Spartans in the first half of the game against at Breslin Center on December 25, 2020 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images) /
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EAST LANSING, MICHIGAN – DECEMBER 25: Head coach Tom Izzo of the Michigan State Spartans reacts in the first half of the game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Breslin Center on December 25, 2020 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)
EAST LANSING, MICHIGAN – DECEMBER 25: Head coach Tom Izzo of the Michigan State Spartans reacts in the first half of the game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Breslin Center on December 25, 2020 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images) /

1. This team has an incredible amount of work to do

Toughness. Grit. A will to win. Defense. All of those things are currently missing from this MSU team and that’s a problem heading into the third week of Big Ten play.

A year ago, I felt the same way about Michigan State at one point in Big Ten play. The Spartans seemed soft and then something clicked near the end of the season. Michigan State bounced back to go on a heck of a run and secure a share of the conference championship for a third straight season. But this team needs to do more than take a page from that team’s book, it needs to take a couple of chapters.

Michigan State looks lost right now with no identity. There are no true leaders and this is the second game in a row when at least two of the three “Big 3” played horribly. Against Northwestern, Joey Hauser, Aaron Henry and Rocket Watts all disappeared. Against Wisconsin, Henry and Watts were fairly non-existent.

Things need to change. If players-only meetings need to happen, so be it.

Something is missing right now and it’s making for bad basketball. And it’s not just the past two games, this dates all the way back to Detroit Mercy followed by Oakland and Western Michigan. The Spartans haven’t looked good in weeks.

A lot of work needs to be done if this team wants to be a contender.

Next. MSU Basketball: 5 bold predictions for December. dark

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