Ten games into the season, the team ranked No. 4 in America in the preseason polls finally clicked. Michigan State dominated No. 6 Baylor at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, a place where the home NBA basketball team does not dominate.
The Spartans picked up their first ranked victory of the year by a score of 88-64 and in the process, handed the Bears their first loss of the 2023-2024 season.
“That was one of our better performances in a long time,” Tom Izzo said after the game. “And I know, (Baylor coach) Scott (Drew), he’s got a hell of a team. If you watch them on film, that wasn’t the team that played today. Did we have something to do with it? Maybe. I told him after the game, I thought they looked a little slow-footed. Sometimes, when you take a long period of time off, they had I think (11 days) off, sometimes, it works to your advantage, sometimes not. But that is a really talented team.”
For a long time, Michigan State’s identity has been to defend, rebound and run. It’s written on the walls in the facility. It is in the program's DNA. But that has not always ben the case so far this season for the Spartans.
Michigan State held Baylor to 48% shooting, forced 21 turnovers and had 15 steals.
Defend? Check.
The Spartans out-rebounded the Bears 29-20.
Rebound? Check.
MSU had 21 points in transition. Also, 36 of Michigan State’s 88 points were by way of layups and dunks.
Run? Check.
It wasn’t only that. Everyone that played more than a minute of basketball scored at least a point. Michigan State was getting offensive and defensive production from everyone on the floor.
“Everybody got into it,” Izzo said. “Why? Because we were running. Why were we running? Because we defended and then we rebounded. It’s really kind of simple, but difficult to sometimes do.”
One of those contributors that performed well on the offensive and defensive side of the ball was A.J. Hoggard. He put up 14 points, five assists and added three steals on defense. It was arguably his best game of the season.
Izzo liked what he saw from Hoggard, and demands more of it moving forward.
“I’m seeing what I should be seeing and I should’ve been seeing it a little bit earlier,” Izzo said about Hoggard’s performance against the Bears. “I feel that way. We’ve had a million talks and he has made more of a commitment to things and I think he realizes that if he can just do the things we tell him — he’s not taking those step back threes, he’s getting downhill, he’s guarding better, he’s rebounding better.
"He’s actually learning how to run my team. I give Mateen (Cleaves) a little bit of credit. He’s talked to him a few times. He’s learning how to do that. And why did it take so long? That’s why I blame myself. But that’s a hell of a Christmas present.”
Izzo said that over 20 former players were in attendance for the game in Detroit. Two of them, Steve Smith and Mateen Cleaves, offered Izzo their thoughts on how the Spartans performed against the Bears.
“But I think Steve Smith said it best in there along with Mateen,” Izzo noted. “Mateen (said) we were more together … more connected. And Steve (said) maybe we finally hit somebody in the mouth before they hit us in the mouth.”
Michigan State has a quick turnaround as the Spartans will host a dangerous Oakland (6-5) team, led by the long-tenured Greg Kampe, at the Breslin Center on Monday.
