Five Takeaways: Michigan State gets run out of Iowa City
Michigan State is in free fall following an 86-60 loss at No. 25 Iowa on Tuesday night — the Spartans' third consecutive loss.
The Hawkeyes came out swinging in this one, jumping to a quick 14-4 lead in the first four minutes of the game. That start set the tone, as Iowa's offense hummed throughout the night against an unusually sluggish Spartan defense.
The first half ended with the Hawkeyes taking a 46-32 lead into the locker room. Iowa shot 50 percent from the floor, and were lethal from long range, hitting 7-of-14 attempts from the three-point line. The 14-point deficit matched the largest that Michigan State has had all season, and things didn't get better from there.
The Hawkeyes stretched their lead to as many as 32 points in the second half, shot 43.1 percent for the game and blistered the Spartans with 12 made three-pointers on 28 attempts (42.9 percent).
1. Iowa knocks Spartans out early
Slow starts have been a consistent problem for Michigan State this season, particularly on the road. This game was no different, but what was different was the fact that this opponent's lethal offense made it all the more difficult for the Spartans to get back in the game. MSU had a 7-0 run right after the Hawkeyes' burst to start the game, and the Spartans cut their deficit to 10 points on multiple occasions, but Iowa just kept scoring. Michigan State has been one of the top defensive teams in the Big Ten all season, but the Hawkeyes have the most efficient offense in the conference as well. The Spartans have four regular season games left to try to figure some things out offensively. Once tournament play begins, another slow start could mean the end of their season.
2. Keon Coleman enters early
The football player entered with over six minutes remaining in the first half. That tells you all you need to know about how Tom Izzo felt about the effort level for the Spartans, as the head coach said earlier this year he wasn't afraid to go to Coleman if other guys weren't playing hard. Coleman did not record any statistics that showed up in the box score during his first-half stint, but for what it's worth, the freshman had a plus-minus of plus-five during his three minutes of action (MSU outscored Iowa 7-2 with him on the floor).
Coleman returned to the floor late in the game and hit a three-pointer, grabbed an offensive rebound and came up with a steal.
3. Brown, Christie continue shooting woes
We don't enjoy repeatedly calling out the same players who are struggling, but man, the rough stretch for Gabe Brown and Max Christie continued in Iowa City. Brown went scoreless for the second time in four games after an 0-for-7 shooting night. The senior is averaging 3.8 point per game in his last five games, is shooting 18.8 percent from the floor and has made 3 of his last 21 three-point attempts.
The freshman hasn't been much better. Tonight, Christie had five points on 2-for-11 shooting. He's shot just 28.3 percent over his last seven games, including 3-for-22 from three-point range.
Every player experiences shooting slumps throughout their careers, but for both of these guys to experience this at the same time has been rehabilitating for Michigan State. We're not here to sell fans on optimism, but you've got to think one of both of these guys will break out of this slump at some time in the next four games. If they do, the Spartans still have the talent to make some noise in March.
4. The bench outscores the starters again
This has happened multiple times this season, and I don't know what to make of it. Coming off some minor injuries in the Illinois game, Malik Hall was the Spartan to reach double-figures. He finished with 17 points, shot 7-of-13 from the floor, and added five rebounds. After a 26-point performance against the Fighting Illini, Tyson Walker was too passive on offense for my taste, but he did knock down three triples on his way to nine points. Julius Marble continued his strong play of late with nine points, eight rebounds, an assist, a steal and a blocked shot. Three-pointers from Jaden Akins and Coleman rounded out the bench scoring for MSU.
Meanwhile, the Spartan starters scored just 19 points, and shot just 25.7 percent from the floor. Calling that abysmal is entirely too kind.
5. The Big Ten race is over for MSU
I was close to calling Michigan State's Big Ten championship hopes over following the loss to Illinois, but held off due to the fact the Spartans were still just 2.5 games out of first place. However, with this loss to the Hawkeyes, the race is officially over for MSU. The Spartans have lost three in a row, five of their last six and seven of their last 11 games after leading the conference early in the season. February has been a shockingly awful month for Michigan State, and still have No. 4 Purdue at home to close out the month. Things won't get much easier to begin March with a road trips to Michigan and No. 22 Ohio State.
