Michigan State should have been blown out by No. 1 Kansas last Tuesday. A team that shoots 24 three-pointers and makes just three of them shouldn't come close when the opponent is the top team in the country.
Despite that, the Spartans were in this game for 35-plus minutes. Moral victories don't exist in Division I NCAA basketball, but the Spartan performance Tuesday night shows there's reason to be more optimistic about MSU’s season.
“I thought we played awfully well in a lot of ways and if just two of those 11 went in, who knows?” said Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo Thursday, referring to 11-straight made 3-pointers he saw in that day's practice.
MSU has shot just 20% from beyond the arc through its first three games. According to the NCAA, that mark is the worst among power-conference teams. Prior to Kansas, it blew out Monmouth and Niagara but also shot poorly in those games.
“It’s good to think about the fact that we didn’t shoot well, but we were still in the game,” said MSU center Jaxon Kohler. “On one hand, it’s really awesome to think about that we ran it, but on the other hand, we had an opportunity to beat the number one team (in the polls) and we couldn’t make shots — and it’s unfortunate.”
"(It) 100% (gives me optimism),” said guard Jase Richardson. “That game, we didn’t shoot our best. We shoot a lot better in practice and a lot of times we shoot a lot better than what we’ve shown. So, definitely, it is a great thing for us. We can build on that, we can learn from it and then stack up and win games.”
This isn’t a 20% perimeter shooting team. Izzo’s 30th squad isn’t going to go out there and shoot 55% every night, but there is no reason to think the trend of the three-ball being a liability for the Spartans will continue.
“It’s very important (for guys to keep shooting on open looks),” Izzo said. “Mental toughness is a big key this day and age, and I think those guys — they know I want them to shoot it, they just gotta go shoot (and make) it.”
Every volume shooter for the Spartans is underperforming from where they usually are, statistically, from deep. Frankie Fidler, who shot 37% from 3-point range last year, is 2-for-11 (18%). Tre Holloman is 2-for-9 (22%) — he was above 42% last season. Jaden Akins and Xavier Booker are both 1-for-11 after going 36% and 33% in 2023-2024, respectively.
“We’re getting 20 (attempts) from three, and that’s important,” Izzo said. “Now yeah, you’ve got to make them — but we’ll make them. If you want some good news, right now — after three games — we’re shooting better than we did last year after three games.”
The poor shooting is not a trend that will continue. As Izzo mentioned, MSU shot 8-for-50 (16%) from deep in its first three games last year against James Madison, Southern Indiana and Duke. At the end of the year, with those three games included, the Spartans were above 36% and in the top-50 nationally for that statistic.
What makes this year different is how well Michigan State has picked up the slack without deep shots going in. Last year, even without 3-pointers, a loss to an eventual 12-seed in the NCAA Tournament and a 23-point win against a program in its second D-I season is never up to par. MSU actually shot decently (32%) against Duke, but still lost by more than it just did against a Kansas team that’s probably better on paper.
This year, Michigan State has beaten its two low-to-mid-major opponents by 24 and 36 points, respectively, using dominant second halves to generate blow outs. Then it’s an eight-point loss that was often tied during the second half against the No. 1 team in the country.