LaPhonso Ellis shares how Michigan State can make statement vs. Purdue

It’s a huge game in the Big Ten on Saturday between Michigan State and Purdue. The Spartans have struggled lately while the Boilermakers find themselves in a first-place tie with Wisconsin as the conference race enters the home stretch.

Michigan State has lost three straight games and five of its last six matchups. On ESPN’s College GameDay on Saturday, LaPhonso Ellis said the Spartans have a chance to make a statement if they can pick up a win over Purdue at the Breslin Center.

“Purdue travels to Michigan State,” Ellis said. “This is a Michigan State team that was a top-25 team earlier in the year, started out the Big Ten season 5-0. Since then? They’ve lost five of their last six. And they’ve got to get it together on the defensive end. They’ve let it loose, there are teams are beating them to the first ball, they’re beating it up on the glass.

“But a guy that needs to step up for them is Gabe Brown. In those first five wins in the Big Ten season, he was averaging 15 points a game. He’s lost his swagger and his confidence, and the last five losses? Eight points per game. He’s got to get his confidence back, stop aiming the basketball at the rim and shoot it with some confidence.”

Since scoring 20 points in Michigan State’s loss to Rutgers Feb. 5, Brown is averaging just 3.8 points per game — including two scoreless outings against Indiana Feb. 12 and, most recently, against Iowa on Tuesday. The senior averages 11.4 points per game on 39.8% shooting from the field.

Tom Izzo addresses technical foul in Michigan State loss vs. Iowa

As Michigan State continues to struggle down the stretch of the season, the Spartans suffered a big 86-60 loss against Iowa on Tuesday night. In the process, head coach Tom Izzo received a controversial technical foul which he blames on the current tension across the Big Ten.

During his postgame press conference, Tom Izzo explained the sequence which led to his technical foul. He also alluded to the postgame incident involving the Michigan Wolverines and Wisconsin Badgers as a turning point for the soft calls against coaches in the conference.

“It was a pretty crazy play, I thought,” Izzo said after making a face and taking a moment to collect himself. “I just said it was a foul, didn’t swear at him. These guys are so – right now – and I knew better. I knew because of what happened I’m sure we’re not even allowed to say ‘hello’ and ‘how’s your mother?’ Personally, it’s completely undeserved. If you look at both ends, I didn’t run out on the floor at him. Was I on the floor? Yes, I was on the floor. I didn’t even realize I was on the floor. But was it? That was ridiculous.”