As March quickly approaches, the Michigan State men's basketball team has not had a wealth of time to breathe since beginning conference play this season, but the Spartans are due for a much needed break after this weekend.
MSU had an extra day of rest before it will take on Ohio State at the Breslin Center on Sunday, then the team will have six days off, which head coach Tom Izzo said will be important.
“That’s the weird part about our schedule; we haven’t had any of those long weeks,” Izzo said about having next week off for spring break. “I think it is critical because guys need to get better.”
The Spartans are coming off a sour defeat on Tuesday night versus Iowa, where they couldn’t overcome a 16-point early second half lead by the Hawkeyes, eventually falling 78-71. Missing easy shots and free throws were key reasons for the loss and Izzo mentioned how hard it is to win games in this league when those things happen.
Xavier Booker's Role
Much has been made and written this season about the play (or lack there of) by freshmen on the team. Xavier Booker, who has gained over 20 pounds since stepping foot onto campus, is starting to feel more comfortable in game situations. The freshman big could possibly be poised for a larger role down the stretch.
“I feel it everywhere,” Booker said on adding more weight and adjusting to this level of basketball. “I think it comes with time and experience. And being around the weight room.”
Booker has averaged just eight minutes a night but has made the most of his opportunities in a handful of games. Still, Izzo wanted to give the five-star freshman time to adjust rather than throw him into the fire.
“He wasn’t ready for this. There is a process. Thank god the one that didn’t over-frustrate was (Booker),” Izzo said.
Booker said the coaches are giving him more reps, and he feels like they are seeing his improvements.
Izzo went on to mention the progression of former bigs such as Xavier Tillman and Draymond Green who played few minutes their freshman seasons before developing into key players by the end.
“If Book can do that, it helps us a lot,” Izzo said.
The Final Stretch
Just four regular season contests remain now before postseason action starts, and no one know better how important playing well in the home stretch can carry over than Tom Izzo.
“The final stretch is always critical," Izzo said. "Sometimes it’s dictated by the schedule, sometimes it’s not. We’ve got to be playing better basketball. Which means you have to defend, you have to rebound, you have to run, and you have to shoot it better.”
He went on to mention that the poor free throw shooting recently is not for a lack of working on it. Izzo noted that the players typically make around 90% of shots in practice.
“Sometimes it’s in their heads, sometimes it’s just missing shots,” Izzo lamented.
Getting more consistent play from some of the X-factors on the team is something Izzo said would propel this team, particularly in Jaden Akins. The junior guard had just six points on 2-for-7 shooting against the Hawkeyes, but MSU is a different team when the shots are falling for Akins. That is something not lost on him, either.
“When I play well, we usually play well as a team,” Akins said after practice on Friday. “Only a handful of games (have) we (played) to our full potential.”
The Spartans have gone cold in many games from beyond the arc, and Izzo is comfortable giving Akins the green light at all times.
“I need him to run the lane, get the ball and shoot the damn ball," Izzo said. "He’s probably my best pure shooter.”
Next Up
The Spartans are eager to get back on track against the Buckeyes Sunday who, despite an up and down year, have played well as of late. OSU upset Purdue in Columbus just a week ago after seventh-year head coach Chris Holtmann was fired, demonstrating how tough it is to find a road win in this conference.
The teams have split their last six matchups dating back to 2021, with the Buckeyes defeating the Spartans in the Big Ten Tournament in the most recent meeting between the programs last March.
Tip off at the Breslin Center is at 4 p.m. Eastern Time with the game being broadcast on CBS.
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