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Michigan State Basketball: Comparing the 2018-19 Spartans to last year’s squad

By Ryan Kay

COLUMBUS, OH - JANUARY 5: Head Coach Tom Izzo of the Michigan State Spartans shouts instructions to his team in the first half against the Ohio State Buckeyes on January 5, 2019 at Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)
COLUMBUS, OH - JANUARY 5: Head Coach Tom Izzo of the Michigan State Spartans shouts instructions to his team in the first half against the Ohio State Buckeyes on January 5, 2019 at Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images) /
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DETROIT, MI – MARCH 18: Bourama Sidibe #35 of the Syracuse Orange battles for a loose ball with Cassius Winston #5 of the Michigan State Spartans during the first half in the second round of the 2018 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Little Caesars Arena on March 18, 2018 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
DETROIT, MI – MARCH 18: Bourama Sidibe #35 of the Syracuse Orange battles for a loose ball with Cassius Winston #5 of the Michigan State Spartans during the first half in the second round of the 2018 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Little Caesars Arena on March 18, 2018 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

Michigan State Gets Upset by Syracuse

The game itself was not good for the Spartans in many aspects. The biggest issue was Michigan State took a school record 37 shots beyond the three-point line, making only eight of them. Common sense would have told you in the previous two games that Syracuse played in the tournament prior to playing MSU, as they beat Arizona State and Texas Christian by holding them to only 56 and 52 points respectively that the Spartans should have been more prepared for the Syracuse defense. Michigan State should have known what Syracuse was going to do by slowing down the pace of the game, playing the best 2-3 defensive zone in the country, and daring the Spartans to shoot three’s hoping that they would miss more than they made.

As is common knowledge, your best players need to show up in the tournament and that was not the case for Michigan State when they played Syracuse. Miles Bridges was held scoreless for much of the first half and finished with 11 points on 4/18 shooting, making only 3/12 shots. However, Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim had a plan and Izzo took the bait. It was clear that Syracuse was willing to live with Bridges shooting three’s as opposed to dunking on various Orange players.

Joshua Langford and Jaren Jackson Jr. shot a combined 1/16 from the field with a combined point total of five points. Cassius Winston and Matthew McQuaid combined for 20 points but shot a combined 5/19 from the field. MSU’s top big men Nick Ward and Jaren Jackson Jr. played for only a combined 31 minutes with both being benched at critical times near the end of the game. Still, the end of the game was determined by only two points.

However, Syracuse’s game plan to attack Michigan State’s defense paid off as they made 24 of 31 free throws. The Spartans did not attack the Syracuse zone and they were only 11 of 16 at the line and missed many ones and one’s free throw opportunities. Syracuse ended up winning the game by a final score of 55-53. Many pegged it as a shocking upset but, it wasn’t. Boeheim had a better team than many gave him credit for and he outcoached Tom Izzo in almost every aspect of the game. Syracuse would end up outscoring Duke in the 2nd half of their Sweet Sixteen matchup but ended up losing by four, 69-65.

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