The word "disgusting" doesn't even truly begin to describe the way Michigan State has been playing for the past three games. The Spartans look like one of the worst teams in the Big Ten during that stretch, and they're in dangerous territory after a second straight loss, falling to Minnesota on Wednesday night in Minneapolis, 76-73.
With the loss, Michigan State drops to 19-4 on the season and the Spartans are now 9-3 in the Big Ten after a 19-2 and 9-1 start to the year. This recent cold stretch is rather concerning.
The half-court offense has been horrendous lately, and that's been proven by the recent three-game stretch that's seen Michigan State nearly lose at Rutgers, fall at home to Michigan, and then get dominated on the road by a Minnesota team that had just two bench players available.
This will go down as Michigan State's worst loss of the year, and there's really nothing positive to take from it. Here's what we learned, though.
1. MSU's toughness is being tested
Michigan State has a toughness problem currently, and that's not something I expected to say after watching the Spartans out-tough everyone through the first 20 games of the season.
That toughness has been missing, for the most part, over the past three games. Rutgers was the tougher team for about 33 minutes before the Spartans really turned up the heat to close the game thanks to Jeremy Fears. Michigan out-toughed Michigan State for about 30 minutes, too, and Minnesota was bullying the Spartans for most of the night.
Michigan State will be tested on Saturday and it'll show us what this team is really made of. Will they respond to adversity and beat a top-10 Illinois team or will the Spartans lose three straight?
2. Jeremy Fears has to be smarter
Down 45-40 with all the momentum after crawling back into the game in the second half, Jeremy Fears was whistled for what looked to be a flagrant foul as he was pushed, but retaliated with a flailing kick to a Minnesota defender's groin area.
It led to a flagrant foul and a quick 4-0 run the other way. That play really shifted momentum back to Minnesota, and Michigan State only managed to recapture it in the final two minutes as they turned a 16-point deficit into a 3-point loss.
This is now the second straight game in which his antics have become an issue, and he needs to realize that he's a great player so he doesn't need to do all this extra stuff.
It's going to end up costing the team.
3. Trey Fort needs minutes
I've been screaming this from the rooftops for weeks now, but Trey Fort has earned his minutes, and I really don't want to see him sitting for 38 minutes every game. He's too good of an offensive weapon.
Michigan State looked defeated at the end of Wednesday's loss to Minnesota, but Fort came in, sparked the offense, and nearly led one of the most incredible comebacks in recent memory. He helped Michigan State claw its way out of a 16-point hole late to pull within two before eventually losing by three. And it's because Fort was the spark.
Fort finished with 12 points on 4-of-7 shooting from three. I don't care how bad he's been defensively, his offense is too good to keep away from this struggling half-court team right now.