Michigan State Basketball: Good, great, bad, and ugly from loss to Tennessee

Great: Full-court pressure

Michigan State finished the day with 17 turnovers, 11 of which coming in the first half. The only saving grace was that, partly because of the effective full-court press, Tennessee also coughed the ball up at an alarming rate. The Volunteers would finish with 20 turnovers when it was all said and done.

Tennessee had an advantage with size at the guard position, so Michigan State countered by applying pressure from full court, and it worked right out of the gate. Tennessee surrendered seven turnovers within the first nine minutes. By not allowing Tennessee to walk into the half-court, Michigan State forced them to make shots outside of their set plays.

Unfortunately for MSU, Tennessee did just that, and could not miss to start the game. But, the success and effectiveness of the full court press was a great sign to see nonetheless.