For MSU, senior forward Branden Dawson has been the definition of consistency, but on the heels of two bad games, his own imperfections are hitting hard in a very unfavorable stretch and making MSU’s postseason hopes a little messier.

Head coach  was disappointed with his senior after an overtime loss to Minnesota, prompting him to bring Dawson off the bench for Sunday’s game at Wisconsin.

The move didn’t spark Dawson, who went on to finish with his lowest rebound (2) and second-lowest point total (4) of the year.

“I know the past two games I didn’t play well,” Dawson said. “I know that. I accept that. I just have to play better, but coming off last game without starting, I knew I wasn’t starting, but I think that didn’t have any effect on my play.”

Izzo said he had a long talk with Dawson on Monday to discuss what he thought was “a ‘Back to the Future’ moment” and how there simply isn’t room for those given what this team still needs to accomplish. He felt that Dawson had practiced harder than he played against Wisconsin.

Dawson’s two-game slide is just that – two games. He averages nearly a double-double, and maybe ordinarily, the two games could be forgiven. That’s not the case this year though because MSU is still fighting for an NCAA tournament berth. Too much is at stake for one of MSU’s most important players to become complacent.

“I’m not gonna let a bad game ruin anything, but I’m not gonna let a bad game be accepted either,” Izzo said.

Izzo has voiced his opinions on Dawson over the years. When he hasn’t played well, Izzo has called it out. When Dawson was consistent during the first 14 Big Ten games, Izzo was the first to point out that the team’s success hinged on its big three and Dawson’s play was crucial.

“You usually pick on the people you care about the most,” Izzo said. “Or you pick on the people that you think have the most to give. And so I don’t apologize for that, nor will I.”

With senior night set for Wednesday’s game against Purdue, Dawson will have one final chance to leave his mark on Breslin Center.

He’ll also have the chance to snap his skid, something he told his teammates he would do following Sunday’s loss in Madison, Wisconsin.