3 takeaways from Michigan State basketball’s final game in Spain

3. Struggles handling on-ball pressure

Michigan State got off to a very slow start this game, and a lot of that had to do with the on-ball pressure they faced on offense.

When Michigan State was on offense KK FMP applied intense ball pressure, specifically on the guards which gave MSU some major problems. They struggled to get the offense going and when they did many of their possessions ended in a turnover.

The Spartans ended with seven first-quarter turnovers which is way more than you ever want to see in a 12-minute period. Thankfully Michigan State adjusted throughout the game and handled the intense ball pressure a little better, but I still saw them struggling with it throughout much of the game.

This will be an area Michigan State needs to improve on before the season begins because a lot of Big Ten teams apply a lot of ball pressure themselves. And if Tom Izzo can play his cards right, there are a lot of ways to take advantage of this style on offense, so MSU could very easily learn to play at their best when up against heavy pressure.