As of Monday, the Spartans are shooting 62.1 percent on free throws — the worst free throw shooting percentage in the Big Ten since the 2004-2005 season.
Barry Greer has gone to every men's basketball home game for more than 20 years. His task? Keeping the Spartan Brass on beat.
After trading leads against U-M for most of the game, the Spartans rallied in an explosive overtime with seniors and junior forward Matt Costello stepping up to seal victory.
Junior guard Denzel Valentine isn't accustomed to junior forward Matt Costello hyping his teammates up before games. So when Costello gave Valentine a chest bump with an intense look on his face before taking on Michigan on Sunday, Valentine knew Costello was on a mission.
With snow piling on outside of the Breslin gates and a whiteout from the fans inside, MSU turned up the heat on the Wolverines in overtime, securing a crucial 76-66 victory in the process.
MSU men's basketball is scheduled to visit Rutgers for a 9 p.m. game on Tuesday but with Winter Storm Juno brewing along the East Coast, the contest could be in jeopardy.
The men's basketball team couldn't maintain a strong start against Penn State but managed to hold on to the lead, taking a 30-28 advantage into halftime.
By Tom Izzo's own admission, this is a transition team battling injuries. Key players have stepped into new leadership roles, and while the team has been competitive, losses have piled up. Going forward in the Big Ten season, the Spartans are still seeking a signature win.
In its fourth overtime game of the season, MSU finally found a way to end up on top, pulling away for an 84-77 victory. MSU opened the game with a nine point run, keeping Northwestern off the board until the 15:31 mark in the first half.
MSU has undoubtedly struggled at times this season and some have questioned the team's legitimacy, but after blowing by Iowa with a second half offensive explosion, MSU has shot its way right back into the conversation in the Big Ten. Although the conference season is just a few games in, MSU’s victory over the Hawkeyes was an enormous one.
A 27-10 Iowa run ended the first half on a sour note for the Spartans. However, the play of junior guard Denzel Valentine and senior guard Travis Trice transformed the men's basketball team's fortunes in the final 20 minutes. MSU (11-5 overall, 2-1 Big Ten) opened the second half on a 25-9 run to defeat Iowa on the road in a comeback win, 75-61.
The first start of Lourawls Nairn's career perhaps came sooner than expected, but his energy in the starting five helped an MSU team in need of a conference win.
MSU rebounded from a conference-opening loss with an imposing victory over Indiana, winning 70-50 at home. Freshman guard Lourawls “Tum Tum” Nairn started in place of senior guard Travis Trice and this decision seemed to give MSU(10-5 overall, 1-1 Big Ten) some energy early in the contest.
After a less-than-ideal start to Big Ten season last week against Maryland, the men's basketball team looks as though it won't suffer the same fate against Indiana.
After 14 games, MSU has yet to play a complete game from start to finish against a noteworthy team. The Spartans have showed flashes of what they are capable of from time to time but consistency has been an issue all year.
The men's basketball team had plenty of chances to put the game away. But in yet another close game, missed opportunities cost MSU a signature win. The Spartans (9-5 overall, 0-1 Big Ten) fell to No. 12 Maryland (13-1 overall, 1-0 Big Ten) 68-66 in a double-overtime thriller at Breslin Center Tuesday.
After a road-heavy, up-and-down start to the season, the Spartans will see eight days off for the holiday break. And the Spartans have a list — not a Christmas list for Santa, but a list of areas that need to be improved before the team returns to action against Maryland next Tuesday.
For the second straight game, MSU was without senior forward Branden Dawson, and after a first-half grinder, MSU used a 19-point second half run to blow by The Citadel, pulling away for an 82-56 victory. The Citadel gave the Spartans everything they could handle in the first half.
At halftime, the men's basketball team leads The Citadel, 32-26. Sophomore forward Gavin Schilling leads the Spartans with nine points on 4-of-4 shooting.
The men's basketball team couldn't convert from downtown.