Through four weeks of play, the MSU men's basketball team's winning approach has been one of development over replacement — a strategy other teams are hesitant to adopt.
With head coach Tom Izzo at the helm, that is unlikely to change. But so far, that approach has topped No. 12 Kentucky, No. 13 Arkansas and No. 16 North Carolina, making the Spartans one of two teams with three ranked wins.
After a dominant 7-0 start, MSU begins conference play against the Iowa Hawkeyes. Iowa comes to Breslin Center on Tuesday, Dec. 2, at 7 p.m. and can be streamed on Peacock.
After a controlling win over the Tar Heels on Thanksgiving, head coach Tom Izzo said his team is poised for a strong week, but added that Iowa will be a tough foe.
"I think you're going to be impressed by the team that comes in tomorrow night," Izzo said.
In this week’s AP Poll, Iowa received the most votes among teams unranked, while ranking 21st, per KenPom. MSU entered the top 10 for the first time this season after holding a top-10 spot for the final five weeks of last season.
Senior transfer guard Bennett Stirtz has led the way for the Hawkeyes and is the team's go-to player in almost any scenario. Currently, Stirtz has twice as many shots taken as the next highest Hawkeye and shoots 50% from the field and 45.7% from three.
The senior transfer guard possesses elite ball-handling that allows him to create space for himself and sink difficult shots. Last week in Iowa's match-up against Ole Miss, Stirtz netted a near-career high 29 points, shot 75% from three and turned the ball over just once.
Last season, Iowa fired 15-year head coach Fran McCaffery after a 17-16 season with a 7-13 conference mark. Now, Ben McCollum has taken the reins, leaving Drake and taking Stirtz's 19 points per game with him. This year's Hawkeyes team sees only two returning players and one starter, while 12 have come to Iowa City via the transfer portal.
Iowa’s number two scorer, six-foot-ten forward Alvaro Folgueiras, gives length in the post, scoring 10 points a game with a team-leading 4.7 rebounds and 2.5 assists.
As MSU moves forward, it can’t afford to rely on a single scorer. The Spartans will need to keep sharing the ball the way they have through the first month. Jeremy Fears Jr. is — and will likely remain — the primary scorer and facilitator, but as opponents study the film, they’ll be quicker to adjust to his tendencies.
Five Spartans averaged 10 points through the Fort Myers Tip-Off: Fears, Coen Carr, Carson Cooper, Jaxon Kohler and Cam Ward. One of this team’s biggest strengths is its depth. The chemistry between different lineups was at the forefront of the Thanksgiving win, with sharp passes and sharp shooting highlighted by a 48.2% mark from deep between the two games.
However, the depth of this group will only be a factor if everyone on the court can play a role during the game. The shooting guard position has given Izzo and the team minimal production with poor defense and an overall lack of offense between Kur Teng and Trey Fort.
Through November, Teng and Fort hold the ninth and 10th shooting percentages on the team, respectively.
MSU’s biggest keys to besting Iowa will be its improvement in the backcourt, especially around the perimeter. Even with the smallest amount of space, Stirtz finds a shot off of slick dribbles and hard crossovers. Beyond Stirtz, though, Iowa lacks a great sense of ball movement and presence on offense.
Against a slower-playing Iowa, MSU must get out in transition and force turnovers. Iowa averages nearly ten turnovers a game, with few options beyond Stirtz.
As MSU moves into the conference slate, staying consistent will be more important than any one statistic, something that Izzo has voiced all season.
"What am I looking for here? More than anything, it’s consistency," Izzo said. "I want to consistently be able to put a product on the floor that people respect."
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