For the first time in over a month, MSU was simply overmatched in a 68-61 loss in Madison.
MSU (19-10 overall, 10-6 Big Ten) head coach coach Tom Izzo had nothing but praise for Wisconsin senior forward Frank Kaminsky following the defeat. The Naismith College Player of the Year candidate was unguardable, pulling out a bag of tricks that even his own head coach Bo Ryan said he hadn’t seen before.
The Spartans did everything they could, rotating sophomore Gavin Schilling, junior Matt Costello, and even redshirt junior Colby Wollenman on Kaminsky. All proved more or less ineffective.
The forward spot was supposed to be a concern this season, but for much of the year, Schilling and Costello provided consistency on the block. Over the past few weeks, Schilling has struggled mightily, often times getting himself in foul trouble which has led to more time from Wollenman.
Off the bench, Costello is averaging a quiet 7.2 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. Against Wisconsin though, he was just a pawn to Kaminsky. Even when Costello denied the post entry to Kaminsky, Kaminsky still found ways to come up with the ball. And once he had it in his hands, he couldn’t be slowed down, finishing the game with 31 points on 11-of-17 shooting from the floor.
MSU forwards struggled all day, and that’s evident in a 35-24 rebounding disadvantage for the Spartans.
Senior forward Branden Dawson was thoroughly outgunned by Wisconsin sophomore forward Nigel Hayes as well. Dawson managed just four points and two rebounds to Hayes’ 14 points and four rebounds.
For MSU, it wasn’t the first time the team has seen a national player of the year candidate in the post. In the second game of the year, Duke freshman forward Jahlil Okafor went off for 17 points against the Spartans in Indianapolis.
Since then, MSU hadn’t really been challenged with an elite talent down low so some of their issues at the position were masked. The Spartan bigs will need to regroup in a hurry because with a Wednesday home finale against Purdue looming, MSU will have its hands full with a two-headed monster on the block.
Freshman center Isaac Haas and junior forward A.J. Hammons split minutes and anchor a Boilermaker team still fighting for its life and an NCAA tournament berth.
