There's no figuring these Spartans

The end result and score weren't that surprising. But the way it happened? Wow. The book is now closed on a Big Ten season that was almost as unpredictable as it was disappointing for MSU.

    Almost. But 12-6 is a significant underachievement for this team. Even if you take away those Iowa and Penn State "aberrations," as some like to call them, MSU would have gone 14-4 and finished two games behind champ Wisconsin. And you can't take them away.
    Tom Izzo was probably as angry after this game as I've seen him this year. The UCLA and Indiana losses were close. But he was pushing chairs out of the way, visibly fuming at the podium today. He's ticked at his team, the refs and the media -- for ripping on the Big Ten, and for continuing to bring up MSU road failures that in my opinion should be brought up, and apparently for writing "no-duh" stuff such as, "When Neitzel struggles, the Spartans lose."
    Focus on what you can control, Tom. I will say this, though. While it's very, very well-documented that I believe the Penn State foul-line disparity numbers are misleading, I did think Izzo had a legit gripe with the officiating today. The refs were letting everything go for most of the game -- and should be commended for it -- but then suddenly started calling touch fouls on the perimeter. OSU got into the bonus quickly and took advantage. Lack of consistency within a game is the worse officiating violation, in my opinion.
    But just like all of MSU's other losses, it was primarily about how the Spartans and their opponents played. Why couldn't MSU make Ohio State pay for the press? Why couldn't MSU take advantage of the switch to ticky-tack officiating? MSU matches up well with Ohio State and was victimizing that zone for 30 minutes -- and then the Spartans went decidedly feeble when the Buckeyes turned up the pressure. Ohio State charged. MSU cowered.
    The Spartans are better than the Buckeyes. They should avenge this game Friday in the Big Ten Tournament. But then, a lot of things probably "should" have happened at MSU that didn't in the past two months.

Comments

[SS]

My high school JV team could have broken the Buckeyes' press. Two stats that help tell the tale of this game...
Turnovers: MSU 17; OSU 9
Steals: MSU 1; OSU 8

[JIM IRISH]

I'M A TRUE M.S.U BASKETBALL FAN AND I EXPECTED SO MUCH THIS YEAR BUT I HAVE NEVER SEEN A TEAM WITH SO MUCH TALENT THAT HAS NO CLUE WHEN THEY ARE PUT IN A POSITION TO PLAY A HALF COURT OFFENSE. TODAY JUST ABOUT DID IT. NEITZEL COMES OUT AND HITS HIS FIRST 2 SHOTS AND THEN NOTHING THE REST OF THE GAME. CONTINUED TO HIDE IN THE LEFT COURT,COME OUT TAKE THE BALL,DRIBBLE AND THEN HIDE IN THE CORNER AGAIN. WHY/WHY/WHY/WHY/WHY/

[todd]

Your right on the point. Izzo should be upset but it should be more with him than his players. His offense is and always has been predictable. Guys stand around for 25 seconds then try and shoot a 3 pointer with someone in their face.
15-20 times a game they turn it over
during those first 25 seconds. Drive the ball and put some pressure on the other team like they do to you!! MSU will never win another Big Ten title with Izzo if he does not change this offense. I can't understand why anyone would want to play for the guy?

[griff325]

Yea if i was Izzo I would be ticked also. His baby Neitzel is NOT GOOD. Once he has a good game everyone praises him so much. Well let me tell you something not so surprising: He should be scoring 18+ every game. There is absolutely no reason to give him a reason not to. Boy am I glad he is gone next year, the chemistry is not there with him and Lucas. Next year I think we will do better with the freshmen, but I do agree that this is an underacheiving team this year. A bunch of egos, thank god we have an improving Suton and Morgan and Lightning quick Lucas. I think we should bring in Dahlman to hit some 3's, because 3's are what bring teams back in. I still cannot beleive that lead we blew, wow what a disaster. There is no reason we couldn't have won at Ohio State today. A place where we typical do well, 20 turnovers is unexcusable.

[Ratts Azz]

Offesne predictable; do not play with emotion or anger. fall short. one oand out in ncaa. youz watch.

[FMatt]

Ok, I gotta agree here with JR. Why can't the MSU play well for the full 40 min? Up by 10 then lose by 9???? The points of turnovers was the reason for the MSU loss, of course, but I do have to agree with 'todd' above. What is with this seemingly passing the ball around for the first 25 sec of a shot clock and then attempting a highly contested shot in the last few sec (I base that comment only on radio commentary as I don't have BTN)? Can't figure that one out at all. No serious offensive production from anyone other than Raymar. OSU was 50% from the field. Last FG from MSU was with 5+ min left in the game (it was the same in the women's loss to IL yesterday). All that doesn't add up to a winning formula for our team on the road inspite of the rebounding advantage. I expect a turn around and a W from our team on Friday as we play on a neutral court against this same team. Let's get to 25 Wins before we hit the NCAA tourney. GO GREEEEN!

[lomak]

I don't get it Joe, what's so hard to figure out. The Spartans are not a good road team. They commit turnovers, have weak leadership, do not have a killer instinct, and mope around feeling sorry for themselves. This was totally predictable. What I can't figure out is why people for the last three years always think after a few wins at home that they have "figured things out". They are what they have been for the last 7 years, a mid-level big ten team that can't win on the road. You as a reporter who follows them should not be puzzled.

[Farmdog]

What a BI-Polar Basketball team we got here in East Lansing!Sparty needs to get back on his meds quick! Just got back from C-Bus and while the game was pointless as far as the the Big 10 standings go(Locked n at a 4 seed no matter what)U still want 2 finish the regular season off on a high. The same ole song and dance with the pointless turnovers!, and this was before the Bucs went 2 the full court pressure! Izzo has the athletes 2 provide full court pressure and instead allways drops back in a stodgy man 2 man D. Motta adjusted at the half. Izzo stood pat, and got burnted! On the bright side however, Sparty has chance for redemption on Fri, when the money is on the table!

[nadbadman]

oh well...we will see what happens next week...and all the people on here calling for izzo's head will be the same people crying if he left for indiana (which of course is not going to happen)...i swear sometimes this blog irritates me, bunch of scummer crybabies it seems...go green

[rook34]

I know Neitzel is everyone's punching bag, but I'll be interested to see who people blame when he's not around and Lucas is still pulling his black hole routine when he drives the lane.

Lots of blame to go around here, folks. Neitzel played out of his mind last year and we all just expected it again this year. You could write a book on what's ailed this team this year. Surprisingly, it doesn't all involve #11.

[Farmdog]

PS-Ohio State and their Value City Department Store Shot Clock have got 2 go!! Damn thing stopped like 20 times!

[rook34]

To clarify: the term "black hole" refers to someone who doesn't pass, for those who don't know, referring to the ball going in and not coming back out, like a black hole in space. I just realized that looked kind of bad when I wrote it. My apologies.

[Pops]

MSU did not quit----they choked.

[Ben Green]

Izzo was ticked. He called it a total melt down. Part of what is melting down is his coaching. He must teach his players to run the clock down then heave it up somewhere in the vacinity of the backboard! At least it seems like it. He hasn't overcome the turnover bug. 20 turnovers! Cut it to 8 and win the game despite the late melt down. Izzo HAS to give up on Neitzel. It obviously isn't working! He is NOT a pure shooter. He had one good year and it isn't this one. OSU turns up the heat and MSU folds. That will not go far in the tourney!

[DoctorWorm]

Where were all these prophets of doom after blowing out Indiana and taking down the Illini? Seems every time we lose, this blog is swamped with people claiming how we're going to choke in the first game, how the players are all going to quit, how the coach needs to go, and how fiery meteors are going to rain from the sky. Come on people, it's one game, and it was senior day. Get over it.

[Paul]

The Spartans are not too hard to figure out. They are extremely talented and very soft, especially mentally. When they play tough, they win and when they play soft. It is that simple.

[Ben Green]

DoctorWorm, expectations my man...expectations.

Not just from us diehard fans but from the entire college basketball world. The Spartans have underachieved...and continue to do so. The team knows it. Izzo knows it. The media knows it. A lot of us know it. Pre-season polls showed it.

[perimetershooter]

Could it be that Tom was blessed with a great bunch of assistants early in his career and that isn't the case now...this team today ran the Izzo pattern offense holding the ball waiting for option one to open up--what happened only too often was losing the ball or the shot clock running out. Where was the offense that scored 103 against Indiana. How about letting Lucas drive and dish to Neitzel or Summers.....I think Tom must have film from the Snow-Respert days.Anyway I don't blame the players they passed up good shots to lose the Izzo way

[xwing]

msu: 17 turnovers
ohio state: 9 turnovers

msu: 6 foul shots attempted
ohio state: 20 foul shots attempted

at ohio state was going to be a tough win but i think i agree with the views of many that riding the nietzel rollar coaster needs to stop. nietzel is a good but i don't understand why their are no better options than nietzel force up a bunch of jump shots. consistency is the key to winning especially in a tournament when you need to win a string of games in a row.

[rook34]

Perimetershooter-

I agree with your point about the assistants-we miss Wojick, Garland, Crean, Gregory, on and on.

I hate to beat this into the ground, but when have you seen Lucas dish when he drives? He goes to the rim and that's about it. He'll learn, but he's not there yet.

[Dietz]

I agree with the Worm. This team is mentally soft. It shows at the end of the game when nobody wants to step up and take the shot, and we get three straight shot clock violations. It's been that way in this program since 2001, and zero championships to go with it. With the talent they have they should have run right past that press and shoved it down their throat. Instead they coward and played not to lose and it showed.

[wth8251]

How would it look to the new recruits if Izzo all of a sudden gave up on Drew? Wouldn't set a good example and that wouldn't be a coach that I would want to play for!

Get off Izzo you couldn't do any better! If you could Indiana could use a coach, send your app!

If we split these two games with OSU than I would much rather lose the first and win in the B10 tourney. Think about it this game has very little meaning and Izzo and the players all know it.

This team is set to achieve in the B10 Tourney and this loss doesn't change that.

[dogman]

No talent on the road....Talent at home...Bi-polar sums it up....next......

[Joe Rexrode]

Lomak, you're right that I should have a better handle on this team. But I don't think it's so simple, either. This team was averaging 7 turnovers a game over its past five and had made tangible progress, but the unforced, silly errors reappeared early in this game, even as MSU was building a healthy lead. As for your claim that this team has been the same for the past seven years, that isn't true. Even in 2001-02, a rebuilding year, MSU went 4-4 on the road. In 2003-04, the Spartans were 5-3, and they were 6-2 in 2004-05 (when they were 13-3 overall, by the way, which would win the league in most years). The road issue is in the past three years.

[xwing]

wth8251:

i think every msu fan on this board would agree that izzo is a great coach. we just want to see msu win and it is frustrating when they don't. no one is giving up on nietzel it is evident though that the offense going through morgan and lucas has been more effective this year. i agree with people saying lucas and morgan driving and kicking out to nietzel for a jump shot gives him better looks. regardless, forced jump shots are not high % shots. late in games you want players to take it strong to the rim to score or go to the free throw line. regardless of who takes the shots that is what you want down the stretch. msu only scored 2 points in the last 5:45 of the game and it is because they settled for too many jump shots similar to the end of the @ psu game.