COLUMBUS, Ohio – Michigan State’s height challenges are well-documented. Ohio State took full advantage of it Sunday, both in the paint and on the perimeter.
The Spartans’ unfocused defensive effort during their 72-67 loss to the Buckeyes perturbed coach Tom Izzo. He felt MSU’s big men struggled to guard Ohio State’s post players and didn’t adequately help his guards on ball screens away from the basket.
“They made some shots, but we did not defend like we’d been. We just had a couple guys that struggled defensively, and that was the difference,” Izzo said. “What lost us the game was the poor job we did defensively and the poor job we did in the post.