🎙️ NEW SPARTAN SPEAK POD: @chrissolari.bsky.social and I talk MSU basketball, NCAA tournament seeding and what's at stake Sunday at U-M. Plus, where MSU women's basketball stands after falling early in the BTT, and MSU hockey's third straight Big Ten title.
www.lansingstatejournal.com/story/sports...
Latest tech for MSU's Jeremy Fears Jr. was new, even for Tom Izzo www.freep.com/story/sports...
Michigan State basketball gets March Madness lesson on closing games www.freep.com/story/sports...
I point to someone who's no longer there, while @chrissolari.bsky.social wonders how he got here. That and 7 other minutes of scintillating MSU basketball analysis that might be too long for the video player.
www.lansingstatejournal.com/videos/sport...
Izzo says he felt this was Coen Carr's best game as a Spartan and the veteran coach felt he saw new gears and speeds from his junior on the break and dunks but loved how he rebounded as well.
Asked if he felt there were nerves for senior night, Izzo agrees that it looked like it with the Spartans. "Thank god we were home, thank god our crowd was great again."
Izzo on the Fears technical says "I've never heard of something like that" but adds the ref told him it's in the rule book. "I think it taught (Fears) and I a lesson. You can't do that." Adds it's not Fears' fault, but Izzo's for not knowing and telling him.
After gushing over Steve Pikiell and the job Rutgers did, Tom Izzo says MSU didn't play well. He blames the first half on the players and the second half on himself.
Michigan State basketball hangs on to lock up Big Ten triple-bye www.freep.com/story/sports...
Izzo: "The only reason we didn't finish strong is I wanted the University of Michigan to get a little over-confident. Because like it or not, we're gonna show up Sunday."
Izzo immediately as he opens senior ceremony talk says Jeremy Fears Jr. did not deserve the technical foul for pointing at the scoreboard.
MSU's seniors getting their opportunity to kiss the Spartan logo at midcourt now during the ceremony. Jaxon Kohler was teary-eyed and gave the heart-hands to the crowd. Carson Cooper will be the final senior honored.
FINAL: No. 8 MSU 91, Rutgers 87. Two Fears FTs and a steal to close it out.
Sure isn't the senior day anyone expected 10 minutes ago. Cooper at FT line with 11.4 left and MSU clinging to a four-point lead. Led by 15 with 1:15 to play. Missed the first, hits second. A five-point game. And another Rutgers 3. 89-87 with 3.8 to play.
MSU's senior lineup is struggling and Rutgers has seven straight points - a 4-point play from Francis on a foul from Wojcik and another 3 from Powers after a steal on the inbound. Refs reviewing that one. Spartans' lead 83-75 if it stands. There's 1:09 left.
Cooper with two FTs. Timeout MSU with 1:55 left and an 81-66 lead on Rutgers. Senior celebrations about to commence in the final few minutes.
Fears back in at 8:26. Expect Rutgers to go at him, particularly Lino Mark.
Looks like Fears got the technical for pointing to the scoreboard for a review.
Another Fears trip, and he also gets a technical. He's got four fouls. Rutgers back within 10.
Wojcik enters, Rutgers goes to press with Fears on the bench. MSU breaks it easily, and Teng lobs to Ward for yet another alley-oop.
Jordan Scott makes it four straight MSU dunks for another 8-0 run, and the Spartans have outscored Rutgers 19-2 since the final minute of the 1st half. Timeout Pikiell, MSU lead swells to 46-35, 15:33 left.
Back to back Carr dunks, one in transition, one on a baseline cut and lob. Both off Fears assists. Make it three straight now in transition on another oop.
Ogbole with four fouls for Rutgers at 18:12. Had two early ones in the first half and two early ones in the second.
Make it an 11-0 run as Kohler coolly drains a 3-pointer from in front of MSU's bench. Timeout Rutgers, as the Spartans' lead swells to 38-30 just 1:40 into the second half. Their largest of the game.
MSU on an 8-0 run since the final minute of the first half, with a Fears jumper and Cooper FTs to open the second half.
HALFTIME: No. 8 MSU 31, Rutgers 30. Carr with the final four points in the last minute to give the Spartans the lead, and he has a team-high 8 while Cam Ward has 7. Fears/Cooper each with 6, Kohler with 4.
Refs announce the common offensive foul on Fears, his second, with 3:25 left in the 1H and MSU trailing Rutgers, 25-24. He's staying in the game.
FS1 misses the foul called on Fears in front of MSU's bench, and he immediately called for a review as did Tom Izzo as he argued with the ref.
Jaxon Kohler gets memorable moment at Michigan State basketball senior night: his 102-year-old great-grandfather honored for WWII service at Pearl Harbor www.freep.com/story/sports...
A heck of a drive and lob by Denham Wojcik for a Cooper oop.
