EAST LANSING– The box score and the sentiment in the Michigan State locker room couldn’t be farther apart after the Spartans’ 19-point victory over San Jose State.
All four captains had career-high performances in major statistical categories, but there was no sense of celebration after the win.
MSU head coach Tom Izzo wasn’t pleased with his team’s effort and response in the second half after they took a 23-point advantage.
“We got fat sassy at halftime and for two seniors and a junior to get fat and sassy, that tells me that we’re not where we need to be,” Izzo said.
Izzo shouldered some of the blame for his team coming out of the half flat and allowed an 8-0 run, which snowballed into a San Jose State run to cut the deficit to ten points.
“I thought the energy, the effort was there until halftime. What happened at halftime? I did a poor job of getting my team ready to play the second half,” Izzo said.
Senior forward Jaxon Kohler and senior center Carson Cooper turned in career-highs in scoring and on the glass. Cooper’s 17 points are the best mark of his career and Kohler’s 18 rebounds are the most he’s ever had.
Still, there was no sense of individual accomplishment for veteran leaders postgame.
“For us as captains, we need to make sure we enforce all our players to be consistent the entire game,” Kohler said.
Free throws and perimeter shooting continue to be an issue for the Spartans and are a main reason why they haven’t been able to separate themselves from the competition.
There were positives for the Spartans’ offense; the ball flew around with 25 assists on 28 made baskets. Redshirt sophomore Jeremy Fears Jr. led the way, as he dished nine, which brought his season total to 28 through three games.
After San Jose State pulled close, MSU showed resolve with a 12-3 run to close the game, sealed by a few clutch shots from Fears Jr.
With a sizable lead, Michigan State was able to let everyone eat. MSU’s bench had its most productive game of the season and outscored SJSU’s bench 20-0.
In the final minute, with the score out of reach, Izzo called a timeout to get junior guard Nick Sanders in the game. Sanders assisted Fears Jr. on the final basket of the night to seal the 19-point win.
Izzo emphasized that the Spartans’ cannot play like that and expect to win games, especially against top-tier teams.
“If we play like this we’ll get killed, I mean [Kentucky] is a very good team,” Izzo said.
Despite the doom and gloom, Izzo said the same thing after the Colgate win and MSU followed up with a big win over Arkansas; so expect a fire to be lit under the Spartans before their upcoming primetime matchup.
A November staple, the Spartans will travel to New York to play in the Champions Classic at Madison Square Garden against the Kentucky Wildcats on Tuesday, Nov. 18.
