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Lack of effort a key in one of the worst losses under Tom Izzo

Izzo puts loss on himself, said team wasn't prepared

December 20, 2014
<p>Head coach Tom Izzo strategizes with his players Dec. 20, 2014, during the game against Texas Southern at Breslin Center. The Spartans were defeated by the Tigers, 71-64. Erin Hampton/The State News</p>

Head coach Tom Izzo strategizes with his players Dec. 20, 2014, during the game against Texas Southern at Breslin Center. The Spartans were defeated by the Tigers, 71-64. Erin Hampton/The State News

Photo by Erin Hampton | The State News

With senior forward Branden Dawson sitting out because of a fractured wrist, it was obvious that MSU was missing something in a 71-64 loss to Texas Southern.

Beyond the absence of a veteran starter and a consistent rebounding threat in Dawson, MSU couldn’t find the energy to take care of business against a Southwestern Athletic Conference team that entered the game at 1-8 overall. Even Texas Southern head coach Mike Davis noticed MSU’s lethargy.

“I thought Michigan State just came out and kind of played,” Davis said. “They missed some shots early, and they just kept missing shots.”

MSU has lost energy and focus at times this year, but typically, these lapses have come when the Spartans have been comfortably ahead at halftime.

“Usually we play well in the first half and don’t really finish games,” Trice said. “We started off slow then started picking it up. I thought we were gonna go on a run, but we just didn’t.”

MSU head coach Tom Izzo placed the blame squarely on his own shoulders, saying that he thought he did not do a good job of working his players in practice over the last two days.

“This one should have an asterisk next to it to say that ‘he solely did not do his job’,” Izzo said of himself. “That was a coaching loss and I take full responsibility for it.”

Despite MSU’s unpreparedness, the Spartans still had many chances to pull away, but the team’s defense was lackluster for much of the game. MSU gave up 71 points to a team that averaged 59.2 points per game and also allowed Texas Southern to shoot 53% from the field. Almost every time MSU made a nice play on the offensive end, the Spartans suffered a let down on the other end of the floor.

“Defense doesn’t take any skill or anything, it just takes effort,” junior forward Denzel Valentine said. “We didn’t have that effort defensively and they kept scoring buckets.”

Freshman forward Marvin Clark Jr., who started in place of the injured Dawson, did not play in the second half, because according to Izzo, Clark Jr. wasn’t “dialed in”. Sophomore guard Alvin Ellis also played just one minute in the second half, a decision that was not influenced by Ellis’s health, Izzo said.

While the majority of the MSU roster struggled finding the motivation and drive to take care of the Tigers, one freshman stood out in terms of hustle. Forward Javon Bess, who was playing in just his second collegiate game, provided sparks each time he was out on the court.

Bess played 17 minutes off the bench and added eight rebounds, three assists, a steal, and a block. He also made one of two free throws with six seconds left in regulation to send the game to overtime.

“I feel like that’s me,” Bess said of his hustle plays. “I always play hard anytime I step on the floor. (I) try to get rebounds, try to defend. I just gotta work on free throws, gotta shoot better from the line.”

Bess noted that the biggest lesson he learned from the defeat was to value each and every play and possession.

MSU will have a quick turnaround, hosting The Citadel Monday evening. Izzo says his team will be more prepared for that one.

“I’m not going to emphasize anything but that we’re going to play harder, play smarter, and we’re going to come ready to play,” Izzo said.

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