The Michigan State Spartans secured a hard-fought, yet pivotal 71-62 win over the Wisconsin Badgers. With the victory, the Spartans overtook the Michigan Wolverines for first place in the Big Ten standings. However, head coach Tom Izzo was far from satisfied with the performance, issuing a stern warning to his players.
The Spartans ultimately found a way to prevail over the visiting Badgers at Breslin Center. Thanks to the Wolverines’ mishap against Illinois in Ann Arbor, Michigan State took sole possession of the top spot in the Big Ten conference standings with two games remaining in the regular season.
Despite a slow start to the game, falling behind 34-32 at halftime, the Spartans clawed their way back and defeated Winsconsin by a final score of 71-62. Guard Jaden Akins ended the night with 19 points and 8 rebounds, while forward Jaxon Kohler registered an NCAA career-high 16-rebound mark in the game.
Despite those individual performances, Izzo walked out of the game concerned with his team’s outing. Despite having enough reasons to celebrate, the Spartans’ head coach sent a strong warning to the locker room.
“I just want to keep getting better. We didn’t get better today.,” Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said, via The Detroit News. “I thought we just did some things that were unlike us, and then we did some really good things too, in the rebounding and the running and made some shots.”
March Madness’ nerves
As the calendar turns to March, a new wave of emotions takes over college basketball. Every game means a little more, every possession, every basket—anything can trigger a costly domino effect, and nobody wants the season to be for nothing due to a mistake.
As the attention of the country shifts to the NCAA basketball tournament, the spotlight is on every program to perform. Izzo admits that it can be a nerve-wracking feeling.
“You get to this time of year and everybody’s telling me how good you are, and sometimes I think we don’t handle that well,” Izzo added. “But I don’t know if any team handles that well. And I don’t handle it well. If you tell me we’re good, I say the opposite, but there’s a reason.”
Rivalry Week
Michigan is one game behind Michigan State in the standings with two games remaining in the regular season. Next, the Wolverines will face Maryland, while the Spartans will visit the Iowa Hawkeyes.
If both teams emerge victorious, or if the Wolverines win while the Spartans lose, their Rivalry Week matchup in the final game of the season will be a winner-takes-all for the Big Ten regular season title.