Tom Izzo's Concerns Valid After Michigan State Win
The Michigan State Spartans routed Niagara by a score of 96-60 on Thursday night, so you would think that head coach Tom Izzo would be all smiles after the game.
But, like any elite coach on any level in any sport, Izzo was more concerned with fixing what his team did wrong in the blowout win.
So, what exactly went wrong for Michigan State?
After all, the Spartans shot 52.2 percent from the floor while holding Niagara to 37.7 percent shooting. They also outrebounded their opponent 45-28, and they had just nine turnovers to Niagara's 16.
In spite of all of that, Izzo took issue with one key factor: complacency.
Michigan State took a 13-point lead in the first half, but he did not like how quickly the Spartans allowed Niagara back into the game.
“I thought Saadi Washington had a good point to a couple of our guys,” Izzo said after the game. “Two guys took really quick 3s, and it went from 13 down to seven. And he said, ‘A heat check means you hit three or four in a row, and then, you have the right to shoot it.’ Our guys, little screwed up on that, they must think one make is a heat check then and you get to shoot. So we got that straightened out at halftime.”
And actually, if there was another area in which Michigan State could use some work, it is its three-point shooting, as the Spartans went just 6-for-18 from beyond the arc in the victory. They also shot just 3-for-18 from long distance during their season-opening win over Monmouth.
So, yes; there are some areas for improvement, especially with Michigan State getting set to face the No. 1-ranked Kansas Jayhawks on Nov. 12.
The Spartans weren't ranked in the AP preseason poll, which represents the third time over the last four years that has happened. That's uncharted territory for Michigan State, which was ranked in the top 25 entering the season nine straight years — and 13 of 14 overall — prior to that.
Basically, growing pains are expected for this squad, so Izzo will have his hands full coaching during the 2024-25 campaign.
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