Michigan State basketball: Protecting the ball against Penn State is press key

Posted by Admin January 15, 2025 Basketball

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EAST LANSING – Tom Izzo’s consternation for more than a month over Michigan State basketball’s growing number of turnovers came to a head Sunday against a gritty and veteran Northwestern defense.

The mistakes ultimately did not prove costly. But he understands that the No. 12 Spartans face a much more daunting duty to protect the ball this week.

Because Penn State with its full-court press is even better at forcing turnovers than the Wildcats’ defense.

“They’re going to create some problems for us, and we have to make sure we match up and realize what’s gotten us here,” Izzo said Monday. “What’s gotten us here is attention to detail with our scouting and players starting to learn how to take that into the game. What’s gotten us here is unselfish play and our strength in numbers. What’s gotten us here has been players helping players.

“So the beat goes on.”

The Spartans (14-2, 5-0 Big Ten) ride a nine-game win streak into Wednesday’s matchup against the Nittany Lions (12-5, 2-4), their first of two straight home games at Breslin Center. Tipoff is 7:30 p.m. on Big Ten Network.

Coach Mike Rhoades’ swarming defense has PSU ranked 11th in the nation in turnovers forced at 16.41 per game and 16th nationally in turnover margin at plus-4.8. His team is the best in conference play at 9.3 steals per game.

The Nittany Lions’ stinginess starts with reigning Big Ten defensive player of the year Ace Baldwin Jr., who followed Rhoades from VCU to State College a year ago and is tied for fifth in the league at 2.0 steals per game this season.

The question is whether the 6-foot-1, 190-pound senior will play after sitting out PSU’s thrilling 82-81 home loss to No. 14 Oregon on Sunday. Baldwin injured his back a week ago early in a blowout road loss at Illinois that Izzo said got away from the Nittany Lions after their leader went down.

Though Izzo also pointed out a concern about the number of interchangeable parts Rhoades is working with to give a variety of looks that, even without Baldwin, allows PSU to be “pressing all over the court.”

“Rumor is he’ll play. But who knows?” Izzo said. “You got some film now the last two games, you like to see what they do lately, and they’re completely kind of different team without him.

“The pressure he puts on you defensively, there’s a reason he was the defensive player of the year. It’s different, and then trying to simulate that to your players is even more different. So yeah, it’s concerning.”

At Northwestern, the Spartans had eight of their 11 giveaways in the first 14:40 of the second half after a surgically precise opening half that swelled MSU’s lead to 23 points. In a 2-minute, 19-second stretch, MSU committed a shot-clock violation, threw errant passes and fumbled the ball away five times. They played turnover-free the final 5:20.

Despite the hot start, Izzo’s team ranks 208th nationally at 12.4 turnovers per game, which is 15th out of 18 Big Ten teams. In league play, the Spartans are giving it away 13.0 times a game, fourth-worst. Some of it has been the opponents’ defense, but a lot of it in Izzo’s eyes comes from his own team’s lapses.

“Usually, if we have a good start especially, we sometimes lose focus, which leads to (an opponent) making a run or scoring more than they did in the first half,” said redshirt freshman point guard Jeremy Fears Jr., who ranks 15th in the nation and third in the Big Ten with 6.4 assists per game. “So it’s really just us being focused for the whole 40 minutes and just not 25, 35 if we have a big lead or something like that.

“So that’s what we’ve been preaching and practicing, making sure we stay focused on every little thing and every little detail.”

Prediction

MSU 82, Penn State 68: Fears, Tre Holloman and Jase Richardson continue to control the tempo of play from the point for the Spartans, exploiting the Nittany Lions’ aggressiveness to push the pace in what should be a frenetic tempo game if Baldwin plays.

Contact Chris Solari: csolari@freepress.com. Follow him @chrissolari.

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