"They should be sweating": NCAAB analyst drops his verdict on Tom Izzo's Michigan State's March Madness odds after nail-biting loss to Indiana
The Big Ten Tournament has a vast depth of contenders this season, but one team that has seen its stock fall off in recent weeks is the Michigan State Spartans. After a 17-9 start, the team has sputtered to the finish line, ending their season at 18-13, good enough for the eighth seed.
As they look ahead to the first Big Ten Tournament clash against #9-seeded Minnesota, their chances seem to be diluting. NCAA basketball analyst John Martin believes that the team is in trouble.
"I'm over the metrics, man. This is not a situation where the eyeballs and the metrics agree. This team is MID... They should be sweating. And we should be talking about them nationally as if they should be sweating."
During their recent 1-4 stretch, each game has been relatively close. With a combined 10-point difference in their last three losses, Michigan State hasn't been completely outplayed by its opponents.
However, the team has repeatedly lost in the clutch, something that could prove to be costly during the Tournament stages.
When does Michigan State play next?
With the regular season done and dusted, the first challenge of the Big Ten Tournament comes in the form of the Minnesota Golden Gophers for the Spartans. Like Michigan State, Minnesota too has lost four of its last five encounters.
In their previous encounters, they have split the results. While Michigan won the first match 76-66, a late rally, thanks to a Tyson Walker injury, led Minnesota to win the rematch 59-56.
However, Michigan has to consider itself lucky, as it was set to face off against the hottest team in the conference — the Ohio State Buckeyes — before a Penn State victory derailed that plan.
For the Spartans, the recipe is simple. The team needs some consistency within the games, especially on the offensive end, where the team struggles outside of Walker's production. During their rough patch to end the season, Michigan State failed to cross the 75-point mark in any encounter.
Do you think the Michigan State Spartans, under the tutelage of Tom Izzo, can rally to find their way back into form? Let us know in the comments.