Indianapolis — The talk of a potential No. 1 seed can stop.
The questions of how far the MSU men’s basketball team is capable of going in the NCAA Tournament — and how far it actually will — can start once again.
Buckeyes upset Spartans, 82-70
From left to right: junior forward Raymar Morgan, sophomore guard Durrell Summers, senior center Goran Suton and senior center Idong Ibok watch the second half of Saturday’s Big Ten semifinal against Ohio State from the bench at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The Spartans were defeated by the Buckeyes 82-70 and therefore did not progress any further in the tournament.
The No. 7 Spartans struggled offensively, defensively and every which way, losing 82-70 to Ohio State on Saturday in the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament at Conseco Fieldhouse.
“We were 27-for-71 (shooting), 38 percent, and I think that kind of says it all,” said MSU head coach Tom Izzo, whose team also committed more turnovers (10) than assists (seven). “… But we do have to play better and the NCAA Tournament’s another chance.”
MSU, the No. 1 seed in the Big Ten Tournament, lost in the semifinals for the second consecutive year. The Spartans have not played in the Big Ten Tournament championship game since winning it in 2000.
Freshman guard Korie Lucious came off the bench to lead MSU with 16 points, while sophomore guard Kalin Lucas added 13 points. Senior center Goran Suton had 10 points and eight rebounds to go over 1,000 points for his career, becoming just the eighth player in MSU history to score 1,000 points and grab 800 rebounds.
Ohio State’s Evan Turner led all scorers with 17 points, while Jon Diebler (16), William Buford (14) and B.J. Mullens (14) also all scored in double figures for the Buckeyes (22-9), who advance to play the winner of Illinois and Purdue at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday.
With their last lead coming midway through the first half (12-11 with 13:11 remaining), the Spartans lost control midway through the second half, allowing Ohio State to extend its lead to double digits.
“We’re just really focused right now and we focused on what it takes to beat a great team like Michigan State,” said Turner, who scored all his points in the second half. “We knew if we were to win today we had to be tough and our whole focus was just being tough. Like (Ohio State head coach Thad Matta) said, toughness and rebounding were going to win this game and that’s what we tried to do.”
The Buckeyes extended their lead to 16 points, but Lucious scored 10 points in a minute of regulation — a 3-pointer, two layups and a three consecutive free throws — to pull MSU within 10 with 3:45 to go.
MSU couldn’t break the 10-point margin as Ohio State continued to pull away, finishing the game shooting 53 percent from the field and 56 percent from 3-point territory.
“Today was on the players,” senior guard Travis Walton said. “We didn’t execute the game plan out. Like coach said, you have to give credit to them because if you’re open you have to make that shot. We didn’t make ours and they made theirs.”
The loss negates any possibility of a potential No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament for the Spartans. With an overall record of 26-6 and winning the Big Ten regular season title by four games, chances are high the Spartans are, in all likelihood, firmly entrenched in a No. 2 slot.
Regardless of the seeding — which Izzo said has taken on “a life of its own” this weekend — Izzo said he doesn’t care where his team is seeded, noting that he’s went to the Final Four as both a No. 1 seed and a No. 5 seed.
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“I’d be remiss if I didn’t try to straighten out ESPN,” Izzo said. “… It’s not like we’re the only team that struggles once in a while — in fact, there are teams with better players that struggles once in awhile. My job in the next week is to see if we can get these guys back together.”
The Selection Show will be broadcast at 6 p.m. Sunday on CBS.
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