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MSU's adjusting lineup no match for Iowa's perfect game

January 14, 2016
Head coach Tom Izzo reacts during the game against Illinois on Jan. 14, 2016 at Breslin Center. The Spartans were defeated by the Hawks, 76-59 .
Head coach Tom Izzo reacts during the game against Illinois on Jan. 14, 2016 at Breslin Center. The Spartans were defeated by the Hawks, 76-59 . —
Photo by Sundeep Dhanjal | and Sundeep Dhanjal The State News

MSU head coach Tom Izzo said all week that MSU's first loss to Iowa was not just because senior Denzel Valentine was out, and the team would need a complete turnaround to beat the Hawkeyes this time.

Izzo also warned there would be an adjustment period when Valentine got back and it showed Thursday night. Valentine has praised the growth of the team over his absence and insisted there wouldn't be a big adjustment when he returned because he doesn't demand the ball, but with Valentine back MSU looked like a much different team. 

Valentine was again insisting after the loss that the team's on-court chemistry wasn't an issue Thursday night, saying he thought Iowa just deserved a lot of credit because MSU lost the same way to Iowa in its first matchup without him on the court, but Izzo knew the team was a little off. 

"I've been concerned about one thing when (Denzel) came back," Izzo said. "People are going to think, because (Denzel's) back, you know I went through this two years ago, you get guys back with injuries and sometimes everybody just relies on that guy. I brought (Denzel) in yesterday and told him 'I don't think we're playing tough enough.'"

In Valentine's first game back in the starting lineup since his injury, he played 37 minutes, scored 14 points on just 5-of-12 shooting and 3-of-8 from three, while also ending with four rebounds and five assists and two turnovers. 

Turnovers were a big problem early for MSU as they amassed 12 in the first 12 minutes of the game — mostly unforced errors — and leading to 15 points for Iowa as they built a lead.  

"They just threw different defenses at us at we were just being to casual with the ball," Valentine said. "Not moving the ball, not getting the ball inside, that's a big problem. We need to get the ball inside, every time I came off a ball screen or a pin-down they were just trapping us or hard closing out and we were just either shooting a bad shot or turning the ball over. But every time we got the ball inside something good happened, a kick-out or a bucket or an offensive rebound, or something."

Costello said while he thought the effort was there for MSU, he thought the team did not do a good enough job in communicating and helping one another on the defensive end of the court. 

"I think the effort was there," Costello said. "But like I said before we're not helping our teammates out, we're worried about our own man, and that's across the board, that's not one man, that's me included I played very poorly defensively in helping people, so we've got to pick that up."

MSU will now look to its leaders, Valentine, senior forward Matt Costello and sophomore guard Lourawls "Tum Tum" Nairn Jr. to get the team ready for Sunday's matchup against Wisconsin, as MSU looks to continue to work Valentine back into the lineup. 

"They (Wisconsin) have been playing hard, (Bronson) Koenig's playing well, Nigel (Hayes) is playing well, so another matchup problem so we've got to just lock down and start playing team defense." 

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