Like it had in seemingly every big game this season, Michigan State found itself down early against UConn on Friday night in the Sweet 16. The Spartans were down 25-6 in the first half and it looked like they were going to get run out of the gym.
Fortunately, like every other time the Spartans found themselves in a big hole early, they made a furious comeback, but ran out of steam in the final eight minutes to lose, 67-63.
The slow starts had plagued Michigan State all season long, and they really bit the Spartans on Friday as they just didn’t have enough left in the tank after the furious comeback gave them a one-point lead in the second half. After the Spartans took the lead, UConn immediately went on a back-breaking run, and pretty much put the game away.
Michigan State made some runs, but they just couldn’t get the stops on the defensive end to overcome the massive hole it dug itself into.
Turnovers, poor 3-point defense, and slow starts are what plagued the Spartans in the second half of the regular season and they all plagued Michigan State.
The Spartans will now need to regroup and figure out how to break through that second-weekend ceiling for the first time since Cassius Winston was still running point.
Michigan State has some big decisions to make this offseason
Every time the season ends, Michigan State needs to re-focus and realize what needs to be done in the offseason to make sure that this feeling doesn’t happen again next year.
The Spartans need to keep most of the roster intact and maybe add a big in the transfer portal to replace the departing Carson Cooper and Jaxon Kohler. I mean, I would love if Tom Izzo could get a fifth year out of either guy, but I doubt it. Still, adding a transfer big man from the portal and keeping the core intact is going to be important.
Michigan State needs to get back to the Final Four next season and I think Izzo is going to do whatever it takes to make sure that happens. He’s due.