Michigan State lost Cassius Winston and Xavier Tillman out of last season’s team that shared the Big Ten title with Maryland and Wisconsin. But the Spartans were still among the top 15 in the preseason in the Associated Press poll of the top 25 because they returned some talented pieces, added Marquette’s transfer, Joey Hauser, and still had Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame coach Tom Izzo on the lateral line.
The Spartans had the benefit of the doubt.
They deserved it.
But after Friday’s 85-76 loss to Wisconsin, it is fair to begin to wonder if the state of Michigan will live up to expectations. In fact, the Spartans led by nine points in the second half, but were defeated 43 to 25 in the 16:11 finals, while their defense disappointed them for the third consecutive game.
“Disappointed to get a nine point advantage, and you just don’t step on their throat,” said Izzo.
Wisconsin hit 51.9% of the field in victory and became the third consecutive team to hit at least 50% against the Spartans. This is not normal. And it’s one of the reasons why Michigan State now ranks 61st nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency, after finishing 13th in the same category last season. To put it in context, consider that Michigan State has not finished out of the top 40 in adjusted defensive efficiency since 2006. So again, this is not normal.
In another part of the Big Ten, Marcus Carr finished with 30 points and eight assists, while leading Minnesota in the 102-95 victory in overtime over Iowa on Friday. The Golden Gophers’ 8-1 record also includes a victory over Saint Louis with a solitary defeat in Illinois. And Iowa is now 7-2, with zero wins over schools currently ranked in the CBS Sports Top 25 and 1. So I jumped Minnesota from disqualification to 17th position, one position ahead of Iowa in the updated CBS Sports Top 25. Saturday morning E 1. This change caused Michigan State, Duke, Michigan, LSU, Oregon, Arkansas, Colorado, Xavier and Louisville to be pushed down at one point each, through no fault of their own. Consequently, Chris Mack’s Cardinals are now the first team to leave.
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Saturday’s Top 25 and 1 Ratings