For the first time this year, the No. 7 Michigan State basketball team faced off against No. 3 Michigan State in the Clash of the Titans in East Lansing, and the game did not disappoint. Despite a slow start, MSU took a huge lead in the first half, but MSU fought back and took the lead in the second half, only to fall short.
Below, you can see our three biggest takeaways from this loss.
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1. Slow start finally catches up with MSU
At halftime, MSU was outscored by the Wolverines in the first 20 minutes of the game, trailing 42-26. We saw some signs of that slow start Tuesday as the Spartans took a 37-28 lead over lowly Rutgers. In both games, MSU was able to come back, but in this game, MSU clearly spent too much energy and looked visibly out of breath in the final minutes of the game, ultimately losing.
I do think there may be a remedy for these slow starts, and we saw that with Cornell this year, which leads to my second takeaway.
2. It’s time to start Jordan Scott
This feels like an inevitable move all year long. I understand why Izzo was hesitant, though. It would be ideal if Treborg or Kuerten could take over the starting job from the divine Ugochukwu with their superior shooting, but Izzo finally moved Scott into the starting lineup in the second half against Michigan on Friday, and that made all the difference in the world.
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Scott played 26 minutes and scored 10 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals and 1 block. He is already one of the best defenders on the team and plays with confidence. If Tom Izzo doesn’t trust Teng or Ford defensively, it’s time to move Scott into the starting lineup.
3. Jeremy Fiers is the best player on the field
Despite the loss, Jeremy Fiers led all scorers with 31 points, setting a career high. Fiers is clearly an All-American at this point in the season, carrying one of the heaviest offensive loads in the country while also being a ferocious defender. In a game with multiple future NBA players on the other side, Jeremy Fears emerged as the best player on the court.
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This article originally appeared on The Spartan Wire: Three takeaways from Michigan State basketball’s loss to Michigan State