Michigan State basketball: 3 takeaways from BTT loss to Purdue

My ears are still ringing for the referee’s whistles. How did Michigan State basketball fair against Purdue and the referees?

Michigan State basketball was back after a 22-hour rest today to play Purdue on Friday afternoon. The Spartans, fresh off the win over Minnesota, got the top seed in the conference tournament. After multiple droughts and times trailing by 12, the Spartans lost 67-62.

That said, it was a brutal game of basketball. Every possession mattered until the very end and we saw this team fight.

Unlike previous moral victories, this is one I truly feel good about. Michigan State could not get the job done, but it gave the Boilermakers all they could handle and more.

I feel weird writing this after a mid-March loss, but Michigan State basketball is so back.

1. This was a foul show

In the first half, there were 23 fouls. That’s right, 23 called fouls between Michigan State and Purdue. Tyson Walker and Jaxon Kohler each had three by the break. Myles Colvin of Purdue also had three, and then there were an evenly distributed four players on the court with two fouls. There was no rhythm at points, with what seemed like as many on-ball whistles as off-ball fouls.

Michigan State basketball was hit hard with foul issues. The second half was not that different from the first, with whistles for everyone. Tre Holloman and Zach Edey got into a war of words and they both received techs, Mady Sissoko fouled out, and Malik Hall, Kohler, and Walker all ended with four fouls. For Purdue, the Boilermakers had Colvin and Camden Heide each at foul number four by the end.

Both coaches commented on the fouls, with Matt Painter saying the four fouls on his two bench players were a result of them not playing as much and getting the same leeway as the starters. Tom Izzo also stated some fouls were different. Lance Jones of Purdue drew four charges and AJ Hoggard said that this affected the team’s playstyle and aggressiveness.

Frankly, this was not a foul show. It was a ref show. At the end of this game, I had seen seven basketball contests in about 48 hours. The three games that I was not a fan of officiating all had the same crew. I don’t think that is a coincidence.

2. Michigan State is physical again

The Spartans may have lost against Purdue, but this was a strong fight. Sissoko only played 10 minutes and fouled out with two points, but this was his best game all year. He grabbed seven boards over Zach Edey, including four on the offensive side end of the court. Carson Cooper was driven to the ground and had a nosebleed at half, but he was in constantly and played aggressively. Kohler had some strong minutes and points.

The Spartans won the battle in fastbreak points, points in the paint, rebounds, and dunks. This is a team that was not afraid of getting their hands dirty and bodies bruised. Coen Carr dove to the floor to retain a loose ball and got fouled. The team had eight players block a shot on Friday. Everyone played hard. This play segues into my next point.

3. This is a team you do not want in the first round

With their win on Thursday, the Spartans assured themselves a spot in the tournament. Even if it was not an assured thing, Friday made everyone sure. Going against a team that Tom Izzo said “can win the national championship”, the Spartans went toe-to-toe. They gave up a 5-0 run to open the second half and didn’t mail it in. They were down 12 and did not blink. Michigan State basketball just kept fighting back. To make things even more deadly for MSU, this loss likely pushes them down to the 10-seed in the NCAA Tournament. They may not have to play a team like Purdue until later in the tournament.

Hoggard said he does not believe in moral victories but was proud of his team. This team played tough and was a Fletcher Loyer missed three away from a win. Izzo has this team buying into themselves and believing. They bought me back on Friday with their performance.

The rotational minutes have been phenomenal in the last two games. We saw Coen Carr and Xavier Booker late game. Carr almost jumped over Edey for an in-bounds to try to make a play for MSU. Naturally, Izzo hugged him for that. Booker was trusted to attempt his own three to respond to Loyer’s go-ahead three. This team is deadly.

When saying that Purdue was a national championship contender, Izzo said “I don’t know where that puts us,” and trailed off, leaving us to think on it. I don’t need the time to think. I’m sold on this team again. Pass the Spartan Green Kool-Aid. This is the best I have felt after a loss probably ever.

As for their next contest, we have to wait for Selection Sunday to find out where Michigan State basketball slots in for the NCAA Tournament bracket.