For a third straight round, the Michigan State Spartans came out with tar on their shoes. In the Round of 64 versus Bryant, they could not pull away during the first half and into the second before steaming to a blowout win. They trailed by double digits early to New Mexico in a clunky round two game that ultimately saw MSU gain control, overcoming a 1-10 night from go-to guard Jase Richardson.
Versus 6-seed Ole Miss Friday night, the Spartans came out flat-footed once again. Once again, Tom Izzo’s guys showcased superior late-game execution to seal a berth in the Elite Eight. Relieved, Izzo praised his players postgame for gutting out another ugly dub.
Familiar Story Unfolds for Michigan State Spartans Vs Ole Miss Rebels
3.5-point underdogs, Ole Miss outworked and outshot Michigan State early to establish a 29-19 advantage. The Rebels played with hop in their step while the Spartans struggled to get anything going.
In a movie MSU fans have seen before–and more than likely are tired of watching if it means falling behind to start every game–they narrowed the gap by halftime, heading into the locker room down two. Tied at 63 with 90 seconds to go, senior Jaden Akins made a clutch jumper to put Michigan State ahead. Perfection from the free throw line secured the win on the strength of an excellent bounceback from Richardson–20 points on 6-8 from the floor.
“Believe it or not, we’ve got to play better,” Izzo said, “but I’m so proud of them. I mean, we’re not a team that can just go out and play and win and boy, we did a hell of a job.”
Explosive sophomore Coen Carr did not disappoint in his first-ever start in 71 career games. Two of his 15 points came on a thunderous dunk that nearly took the roof off State Farm Arena at the 4:23 mark. Inserted into the lineup as a small-ball counter to the Rebels’ fleet-footed five, he provided crucial versatility and spark in his team-high-tying 32 minutes of action.
The Spartans’ collective effort overcame a standout performance from Ole Miss guard Sean Pedulla, who finished with 24 points and 4 assists.
Tom Izzo Will Look To Bring His Deepest Team in Decades–Ever!?–to 9th Final Four
With 8 Final Fours under his belt, Izzo is not keen on settling for three wins in March. “The [Elite Eights] are great too, but go back to my statement from the beginning: We don’t put up any banners for Elite Eights. We put up banners for Big Ten championships and Final Fours and national championships.”
The Spartans have not won the title since 2000, Izzo’s 5th year at the program; they last made the Final Four in 2019. That was also their most recent Elite Eight appearance. To repeat history, they will have to go through Auburn, fresh off a ferocious comeback win over Michigan, on Sunday.
While Izzo recognizes that his team cannot keep getting away with lethargic starts, he is excited about the group’s potential and their growth on the fly. “We’re still growing. We’re still learning. And that’s what we’re excited about, too. I feel like we can still get better and I think they know that we need to get better.”
It isn’t the best Spartans squad Izzo has coached, but their depth continue to wear foes down. It was on display in the final seconds against Ole Miss as Izzo had the luxury of putting three 83-85% free-throw shooters on the floor. No Spartan shot less than 65.9% on the season. Friday night, Michigan State sank 19 of 22.
“We’ve had the most strength in numbers as we’ve ever had here,” Izzo said. Auburn has opened as 5.5-point favorites for Sunday’s 5:05 PM scheduled tipoff.
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