The Spartans (10-8 overall, 2-4 Big Ten) went from ranked to unranked and haven’t been able to string two wins together in the Big Ten.

After receiving a No. 18 ranking in the preseason USA Today/ESPN Top 25 Coaches’ poll and being selected second in the Big Ten by the media, and fourth by coaches in a preseason Big Ten poll, the Spartans are now struggling just to stay afloat in the conference.

MSU sits in ninth place in the Big Ten, with Northwestern and Wisconsin filling in the last two spots.

Though it’s a rebuilding year in a sense for the team, with a new coaching staff and a slew of new players, the reasons for the losses keep shifting. From turnover troubles and rebounding woes to lack of leadership, the squad just can’t seem to put it all together.

Probably the biggest loss for the team, both in leadership and skill, came during the Lake Superior exhibition game on Nov. 4 when junior forward Aisha Jefferson tore her ACL and is now out for the season.

The team has the talent, this much I can see in the few put-together moments on the court. When sophomore center Allyssa DeHaan grabs a defensive rebound and throws it upcourt to senior guard Courtney Davidson, who then pulls up to drain the 3-pointer, it’s a moment the Spartans need more of. That, or when freshman guard Brittney Thomas gets a steal and sprints down the court for the fast break and easy layup — just quick, easy points.

Moments like this are when the on-court chemistry shines through and the momentum picks up — in other words, moments the team needs to have more often to start putting one foot in front of the other.

MSU’s main flaw is its lack of emotion and toughness on the court. DeHaan constantly is being pushed out of position and all around the basket lately. Unfortunately, you wouldn’t know if DeHaan was fighting back or getting frustrated by the constant jabs simply by looking at her facial expressions, body language or by listening to her.

That’s part of the problem, it doesn’t seem she is getting frustrated by it at all because she rarely fights back with much effort but simply just lets herself be pushed around. Granted, she is not the most built player in the majority of games, but she is the tallest and that should count for something.

DeHaan’s height becomes almost meaningless when she can’t help her team out from the outside, or when she is heavily and roughly guarded, because she is now out of her comfort zone mentally and physically.

The Spartans simply need to start over, and the best time to do that is tonight against Northwestern. The Wildcats have a bench riddled with injuries and less confidence than any other team in the Big Ten, as they have yet to put a tally in the win column.

Allison Grant is the State News women’s basketball reporter. You can reach her at grantall@msu.edu.