Tom Izzo might have expected to praise his team given No. 8 Michigan State’s 12-game winning streak, but he found some things to work on after their recent 81-74 win over Rutgers.
Izzo is looking for improvement when Michigan State (17-2, 8-0 Big Ten) faces Minnesota (11-9, 3-6) on Tuesday night in East Lansing, Mich.
His message to the team is clear: Don’t get too comfortable with how they are playing.
“I thought for the first time, we looked a little more entitled,” Izzo said. “We looked like we were reading our own press clippings. We did not move the ball smoothly. We looked a little selfish.
“This is a new thing for these guys, too. Learning how to deal with failure is hard. Learning how to deal with success is sometimes harder.”
Minnesota will try to spoil Michigan State’s perfect home record. The Golden Gophers have beaten ranked teams twice in their last three games and hope to extend their streak.
Minnesota defeated No. 15 Oregon 77-69 on Saturday, marking their third consecutive win. They also beat No. 20 Michigan and Iowa in their recent run.
Dawson Garcia has been leading the way for Minnesota, averaging 19.7 points and 7.4 rebounds per game, with a shooting percentage of 49.8%.
Minnesota and No. 20 Michigan“(He’s the) ultimate competitor,” said Minnesota coach Ben Johnson. “He’s brought everybody up to his level. That’s been a huge part of what we’re doing here. He’s forced with his play for everybody to elevate and have a new standard.”
Michigan State relies on a balanced scoring attack, with nine players averaging over 5 points per game. Jaden Akins leads the team with 13.8 points, followed by Jase Richardson at 9.8.
The Spartans will look to remain perfect at home, where they are 10-0 this season. Minnesota, on the other hand, has a 1-3 record on the road, but their lone win came in their last away game against Iowa.
Izzo is confident his team will continue to improve as the season goes on.
“We’re just trying to stay the course, but it’s hard,” Izzo said. “It’s hard on coaches and it’s hard on players. Because a lot of times — you see it in the NBA, you see it in the NFL — the best players don’t always win games. You’ve got to have that (set of intangibles), and the only way you can get it — the chemistry, the camaraderie — is to play together. I think they’ve done a pretty (darn) good job.
“… I think this team is going to get better. This team will be a tough out by the end of the season.”
