San Jose State slump? Not on Tom Izzo’s watch

The Michigan State men's basketball team had every reason to streak into this week, blazing hot, after a remarkable early-season performance and win over John Calipari’s then 14th-ranked Arkansas team last Saturday.

This success ratcheted MSU up from the 22nd-ranked team in the country to now the 17th-ranked team in the Associated Press poll.

The second of four top-25 matchups in the first month of the season was now staring the Spartans in the face. And not just any matchup, but a Champions Classic matchup. It would be all too easy for the Spartans' gaze to drift toward the lights of Madison Square Garden and to get caught up on the stark blue-and-white checkers of the Kentucky Wildcats, now less than a week away (Nov. 18).

Before the Spartans face the Wildcats, though, they had a “trap game,” many would parrot, with the matchup against San Jose State University on Thursday, Nov. 13 placed perfectly between two high-profile contests.

“That's all everybody talks about is a trap game," Izzo said. "I'm getting calls from everywhere. You've got Arkansas, you've got Kentucky. It's a trap game,” Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo said.

He’s been hearing it all week, and appeared a bit tired of it. Perhaps from San Jose State’s perspective, Michigan State was perfectly poised to overlook them, to underestimate them, to fall to their fellow, but rival, Spartans. Not from Izzo’s perspective.

"I don't ever want to use the word 'trap game' because we didn't have a game and then two days later have another game," Izzo said.

Ultimately, the Spartans of Michigan State would defeat the Spartans of San Jose State by a final score of 79-60.

Izzo went on to praise Associate AD/Strategic Initiatives & Conference Planning, Kevin Pauga’s scheduling prowess, giving the players and coaches the time to adequately prepare for each opponent they face, including San Jose State.

And after half a game, the Spartans appeared to be proving Izzo right. With a strong defensive performance, high assist rate (87.5%), and some juice at the 3-point line from sophomore guard Kur Teng, MSU had doubled up San Jose State, with a score of MSU 46, SJSU 23 at halftime. Heading into half, many Michigan State fans, if not the players and coaches themselves, likely felt confident the game was locked up.

The goals for both individuals and the team were set, and the players met them well. It wasn’t a trap game, because the MSU Spartans were taking care of business.

And yet, there were still 20 minutes of basketball left to play.

Izzo did not like how the second half went. Subscribe to Spartans Illustrated to read the rest of his thoughts.

This success ratcheted MSU up from the 22nd-ranked team in the country to now the 17th-ranked team in the Associated Press poll.

"I don't ever want to use the word 'trap game' because we didn't have a game and then two days later have another game," Izzo said.

Ultimately, the Spartans of Michigan State would defeat the Spartans of San Jose State by a final score of 79-60.

The goals for both individuals and the team were set, and the players met them well. It wasn’t a trap game, because the MSU Spartans were taking care of business.

And yet, there were still 20 minutes of basketball left to play.

Izzo did not like how the second half went. Subscribe to Spartans Illustrated to read the rest of his thoughts.

San Jose State slump? Not on Tom Izzo’s watch

Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo disputes trap game claims, demands more of himself than anyone else following the up-and-down win over the SJSU Spartans.

San Jose State slump? Not on Tom Izzo’s watch

Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo disputes trap game claims, demands more of himself than anyone else following the up-and-down win over the SJSU Spartans.