Roundball recap: MSU basketball ousted from Big Ten Tournament

Well, this team got embarrassed again and UM basketball owns this rivalry right now.

Guys, I’m sorry. I hate typing that as much as you hate reading it. MSU, once again, was out-coached and out-played in a double-digit loss. For the third straight time.

I don’t know if it bothers any of the players, but man is this getting annoying.

Let’s just start this thing...

This might shock you, because I know it shocks the defense, but you can’t win when you let a team fire off a dozen wide-open 3-point shots.

MSU was never extraordinary at defending the three, but they were outright negligent of the 3-point line on Saturday. If we were playing in the Magic Johnson era, they were golden. However, the 3-point line has been around for three decades. Try defending it one of these days.

On the flip side, MSU was arguably worse shooting the three themselves. The Spartans threw up enough bricks to raise another skyscraper in that iconic NYC skyline.

Jaren Jackson went 1-6 and maybe one of those misses looked close. Cassius Winston continued to be cold for his second straight game. Josh Langford continued his usual play over the last month, unfortunately. They all combined for 1-13 shooting, and that one was on a meaningless late three-ball.

Someone please tell MSU it is a legal basketball play to get the ball in the post. Just give it a try at least.

Nicole Sweet-USA TODAY Sports

Miles Bridges shot selection was laughable at best. Please, keep chucking contested fadeaway long twos with 18 seconds left on the shot clock. Crazy those weren’t going in the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth or seventh try.

If MSU plays on Friday in Nashville, tell Josh Langford the game is Thursday in Pittsburgh. Just give him the wrong dates, locations and times.

Look, I’m sure he’s a great kid. And yeah, five-time winner of player of the year in Alabama. However, for the last month, he’s been a total liability on the court. His jump shot is somewhere packed away with his Christmas decorations, because that’s the last time we’ve seen it. His defense is nothing special. He makes too many head-scratching decisions with the ball in his hands.

If you don’t want to screw up starting lineups, fine, but don’t give him minutes that should be going to Matt McQuaid — or hell, maybe even Connor George — instead.

Nicole Sweet-USA TODAY Sports

I’m sorry to anyone that bought NCAA Tournament tickets in Detroit. I hope Little Caesars Arena at least streams the games going on in Charlotte or Nashville or wherever MSU will be playing.

Alright, fine. It’s not a certainty they’re out of Detroit, but a semifinal exit and a blown change to get a quadrant one win doesn’t help our chances.

I can’t say I’m surprised with how this unfolded. MSU (clearly) struggles defending the perimeter. Beilein has MSU’s number and makes great halftime adjustments. MSU was riding a streak where they were doing the bare minimum to get by in many games against inferior opponents.

If MSU runs into a team of athletes that can get hot behind the perimeter, that’ll be the end of the 2017-18 season.

At least we’ll always have this...

Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports

That’s pretty cool, I guess. Go Green.