Michigan State Basketball: 3 observations from sluggish win over High Point

1. The defense looked flat

Michigan State did not come out with any energy and that translated into a poor defensive outing. The Spartans were in the top 10 in defensive efficiency coming into this game. They did not show that they were in the top 10 against High Point.

In the first half, the Spartans let High Point shoot 50 percent from the floor. They were not closing out on the perimeter and were letting easy buckets near the basket. Some of this was due to two of their best players not being available.

Max Christie might be the best perimeter defender while Marcus Bingham is the best rim protector the Spartans have. This cannot be an excuse. If one or both go down with an injury, the Spartans need to still be efficient on the defensive end. They cannot fall flat. If they fall flat, they will become a mediocre Big Ten team.

The defense has to continue to play like they did against teams earlier in the season come next month when Big Ten play resumes. This team is at its best when the defense is on its game because they can get out into transition and get “turnovers for touchdowns” as Tom Izzo likes to call them. When they do this, they are nearly unstoppable.