3&Out: Michigan State was a quart low on program staples in 70-64 loss at Southern Cal

Michigan State saw its 13-game winning streak snapped on the first game of its West Coast trip by Southern Cal, which made a statement at home with a 70-64 victory.

The Trojans played well in this game behind star point guard Desmond Claude, who led Southern Cal in scoring with a game-high 19 points. The Spartans, however, were as much to blame for their own demise in this game as USC was for beating them. Michigan State failed to do many of the things that they it has done well to this point in the season and helped them win 18 games before the calendar turned to February.

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1. Michigan State failed to follow its own blueprint for success

A loss was coming, sooner or later. We all knew that it was a matter of time and Tom Izzo did too. He has been warning us that Michigan State would face the adversity of losing games, not just a game, but multiple games during Big Ten play. Suffering a Big Ten loss was not a surprise. It was the way that Michigan State lost, however, that was more disappointing than the outcome itself.

Defense, rebounding, transition offense, and free-throw shooting have been strengths for this team throughout the season. None of those elements that have fueled the success that Michigan State has enjoyed thus far were quite up to program standards against Southern Cal.

The Trojans deserve credit for following a script that enabled them to do what no other Big Ten team has done before this game. Claude had to have a great game for USC to win. He did, finishing with 19 points in 34 minutes. The Trojans also had to get production from elsewhere in their starting lineup. Three different USC players, including Claude, reached double figures in scoring against the Spartans. Defensively, Southern Cal was effective in keeping Michigan State out of the post area. Michigan State was forced to make shots from the elbow area outward, including many of the mid-range looks that the Spartans have made a high percentage of to this point in the season.

The Spartans, however, spent a good deal of this game tripping over their own feet. Michigan State had 13 turnovers in this game, which is something that the Spartans have been focused on cleaning up in recent weeks. Four of Michigan State’s turnovers in this game came on offensive fouls, including two charge calls, and two moving screens. Many of the turnovers that Michigan State had in this game were not immediately converted into points by USC. Those turnovers, however, prevented the Spartans from generating or sustaining momentum.

Defensively, Michigan State was unable to keep Claude out of the paint. Claude, a transfer from Xavier, has been the best player for Southern Cal when the Trojans have played their best games. He was the catalyst for USC in a road win at Illinois. He was impact player for the Trojans against the Spartans, who have yet to face an opposing point guard who created as many problems as Claude did. Kasparas Jakucionis could have created similar issues, but he was unable to because of foul trouble. The difference between Jakucionis and Claude, however, is that Claude isn’t the same level of passer as his counterpart from Illinois. His ability to get downhill created a lot of problems for the Spartans even if he wasn’t pilling up assists.

Claude was the guy at the top of the scouting report for the Michigan State defense. And he is the type of player that the Spartans have tasked Jeremy Fears with defending in a lot of different games this season. Fears has had success guarding head-of-the-snake type opponents prior to this game. Claude got the better of the Michigan State underclassman in the first half of this game. Fears played better in the second half than they did in the first 20 minutes. In fact, he led the Spartans in scoring with 12 points, one more than Jaden Akins, who was the only other Michigan State player in double figures. Fears wasn’t the only Spartan that struggled to keep Claude out of the paint. Akins, Frankie Fidler, and Tre Holloman each had good defensive possessions as well as bad ones against the USC star.

Overall, this wasn’t a vintage defensive performance by Michigan State. The Spartans did hold Southern Cal to respectable shooting percentage (42), but couldn’t get enough stops when they needed to. And when the Spartans did force missed shots on defense, there were far too many USC possessions that were extended by via offensive rebounds.

Michigan State has feasted at the free-throw line this season. Coming into this game, Michigan State was averaging close to 20 points per game at the free-throw line per game during Big Ten play. The Spartans managed a little more than half that number against the Trojans. Michigan State also shot well below its free-throw shooting percentage on the season against USC. The Spartans made just 11-for-19 at the free-throw line (58 percent) against the Trojans. Winning on the road requires making free throws.

The nation’s leader in fast-break points throughout the season, Michigan State managed just nine points in transition against Southern Cal. Part of the reason why was poor rebounding. The Spartans finished with a 34-33 advantage on the glass in this loss but failed to rebound at the level we’ve been accustomed to seeing this season. Poor rebounding often has a direct impact on the break, and it did in this game.

Michigan State needs to rebound at much higher level to salvage its West Coast trip with a win at UCLA on Tuesday.

2. How will Michigan State respond to first real adversity in Big Ten play

Michigan State coach Tom Izzo has raved about the connectedness and camaraderie of his basketball team from basketball media day onward. Opposing coaches have also lauded Michigan State players for their chemistry, connectedness, and leadership. While praising his team, Izzo has also been quick to point out that chemistry is easier when teams are winning, and that the true test of a team’s culture is in how they respond after a losses or a losing streak. During the first month of the season, Michigan State did a nice job of bouncing back from early losses to Kansas and Memphis. So, I would anticipate a strong bounce-back for the Spartans moving forward from their first setback since November. That doesn’t mean, however, it is going to be easy.

During the 2018-2019 Big Ten season Michigan State lost three straight games in conference play at this same time of year before going on to win the regular-season conference championship and the Big Ten Tournament title. The Spartans also made a memorable run to the Final Four that season. One of the losses suffered by Michigan State that season was on the road at Purdue, which should come as no surprise given how difficult it is to play at Mackey. The Spartans, however, also lost a pair of games to unranked teams in Illinois and Indiana during that stretch.

As good as the chemistry is on this team, it would be awfully difficult to bounce back from a three-game skid the way the 2018-2019 Spartans managed to do. Playing at UCLA will be a difficult challenge, and it will test the culture of this team. How Michigan State responds to its first loss in Big Ten play could say a lot about the championship mettle of this team.

3. Strength in numbers didn’t help the Spartans against USC

During its 13-game game winning streak, Michigan State has had a lot of different players step up and wear the mantle of go-to player for the night. In this game, however, the Spartans didn’t have a true star for the night. The Spartans got some big shots from multiple individuals including Jase Richardson, Jaden Akins, Frankie Fidler, Jeremy Fears, Coen Carr, and Tre Holloman, but they didn’t get a big enough game from any of those players to get over the hump in a gritty road game at Southern Cal. And perhaps, Michigan State wouldn’t have needed a monster game from any of those players if they had gotten just a little bit more from everybody else. This was one game where the collective production of Michigan State’s bigs also fell short as Jaxon Kohler, Carson Cooper, and Szymon Zapala combined for just 11 points. Michigan State has had a lot of success without a true superstar on its roster this season. In some games, however, having a guy matters more than others. Michigan State didn’t have a guy in this game. The Spartans needed one.