Tom Izzo has coached in 23 consecutive NCAA Tournaments and will probably extend that streak to 24 straight next month. That's the good news for Michigan State fans. But the bad news is the Spartans are really struggling as Selection Sunday approaches.
On Tuesday night, they lost again. Iowa whipped them 86-60.
"We just didn't guard tonight," Izzo told reporters after his Spartans allowed Iowa to shoot 43.1% from the field with Hawkeyes star Keegan Murray getting 28 points on 15 shots.
"Keegan is a special talent, and he does it in a special way," Izzo added. "They've got a star. He is a star."
Michigan State is now a dismal 1-5 in its past six games and trending in the wrong direction. The Spartans have gone from 17-4 overall and 8-2 in the Big Ten to 18-9 overall and 9-7 in the Big Ten in a span of 18 days. They've been replaced in Wednesday's updated CBS Sports Top 25 And 1 daily college basketball rankings by the Iowa team that just beat them by 26 points while winning for the fifth time in six outings.
The problem for Michigan State now is that things aren't going to get any easier. Next up is a home game with Purdue. Then comes road games at Michigan and Ohio State, followed by the regular-season finale with Maryland. The Spartans should be underdogs in three of those four contests, according to KenPom.com, so finishing above .500 in the Big Ten is no longer a given. And if the Spartans don't turn things around fast, they could become a part of the bubble conversation for the second straight season.
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Top 25 And 1 rankings
Biggest Movers
3 Arkansas
4 Villanova
Rk | Teams | Chg | Rcrd | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gonzaga | Gonzaga has won 16 straight games by double-digits and is 12-0 in the West Coast Conference. The Zags' next game is Thursday at San Francisco. | -- | 27-8 |
| 2 | Arizona | Arizona is 11-2 in the first two quadrants with the only losses coming at Tennessee and at UCLA. The Wildcats' next game is Thursday at Utah. | -- | 27-9 |
| 3 | Kansas | Kansas is 16-4 in the first two quadrants with three of the four losses coming in Quadrant 1. The Jayhawks' next game is Saturday at Baylor. | -- | 23-11 |
| 4 | Auburn | Auburn is 13-3 in the first two quadrants with all three losses falling in Quadrant 1. The Tigers' next game is Wednesday against Ole Miss. | -- | 27-8 |
| 5 | Purdue | Purdue is 11-4 in the first two quadrants with three of the four losses coming in Quadrant 1. The Boilermakers' next game is Saturday at Michigan State. | -- | 34-5 |
| 6 | Duke | Duke is 9-3 in the first two quadrants with an additional loss to Virginia falling in Quadrant 3. The Blue Devils' next game is Wednesday at Virginia. | -- | 27-9 |
| 7 | Kentucky | Kentucky is 10-5 in the first two quadrants with all five losses coming in Quadrant 1 games away from home. The Wildcats' next game is Wednesday against LSU. | -- | 23-10 |
| 8 | Providence | Providence is 12-3 in the first two quadrants with wins over Texas Tech and Wisconsin, and losses to Villanova, Marquette and Virginia. The Friars' next game is Sunday at Butler. | 1 | 21-14 |
| 9 | Wisconsin | Wisconsin is 13-4 in the first two quadrants with an additional loss to Rutgers falling in Quadrant 3. The Badgers' next game is Wednesday at Minnesota. | 1 | 22-14 |
| 10 | Texas Tech | Texas Tech is 13-6 in the first two quadrants with wins over Kansas, Baylor (twice), Tennessee and Texas (twice). The Red Raiders' next game is Saturday at TCU. | 1 | 23-11 |
| 11 | Baylor | Baylor is 15-5 in the first two quadrants with wins over Villanova, Texas and Michigan State. The Bears' next game is Saturday against Kansas. | 1 | 24-11 |
| 12 | Villanova | Villanova is 12-7 in the first two quadrants with wins over Providence and Tennessee. The Wildcats' next game is Tuesday against Providence. | 4 | 18-16 |
| 13 | UCLA | UCLA is 8-5 in the first two quadrants with wins over Arizona, Villanova and Marquette. The Bruins' next game is Thursday at Oregon. | -- | 16-17 |
| 14 | Illinois | Illinois is 10-7 in the first two quadrants with wins over Wisconsin and Michigan State (twice). The Illini's next game is Thursday against Ohio State. | -- | 29-9 |
| 15 | Tennessee | Tennessee is 10-7 in the first two quadrants with wins over Arizona and Kentucky. The Vols' next game is Saturday against Auburn. | -- | 27-9 |
| 16 | Arkansas | Arkansas is 10-5 in the first two quadrants with an additional loss to Vanderbilt falling in Quadrant 3. The Razorbacks' next game is Saturday against Kentucky. | 3 | 16-17 |
| 17 | UConn | UConn is 12-7 in the first two quadrants with victories over Auburn and Marquette. The Huskies' next game is Sunday at Georgetown. | 3 | 37-3 |
| 18 | Texas | Texas is 9-8 in the first two quadrants with wins over Kansas and Tennessee. The Longhorns' next game is Wednesday against TCU. | 2 | 21-13 |
| 19 | Houston | Houston is 6-4 in the first two quadrants but in possession of zero Quadrant 1 wins. The Cougars' next game is Wednesday at Tulane. | 2 | 32-5 |
| 20 | USC | USC is 8-3 in the first two quadrants with an additional loss to Stanford falling in Quadrant 3. The Trojans' next game is Thursday at Oregon State. | 2 | 15-18 |
| 21 | Ohio St. | Ohio State is 8-7 in the first two quadrants with five of the seven losses coming in Quadrant 1. The Buckeyes' next game is Thursday at Illinois. | -- | 22-14 |
| 22 | Saint Mary's | Saint Mary's is 8-6 in the first two quadrants with all six losses coming in Quadrant 1. The Gaels' next game is Thursday at San Diego. | -- | 26-8 |
| 23 | Murray St. | Murray State, on a 16-game winning streak, is 4-1 in the first two quadrants with an additional loss to East Tennessee State falling in Quadrant 3. The Racers' next game is Thursday against Belmont. | -- | 12-20 |
| 24 | Alabama | Alabama is 13-8 in the first two quadrants with two additional losses to Georgia and Missouri falling in Quadrant 3. The Crimson Tide's next game is Saturday against South Carolina. | 1 | 25-12 |
| 25 | Iowa St. | Iowa State is 9-9 in the first two quadrants with wins over Texas Tech and Texas. The Cyclones' next game is Wednesday against West Virginia. | 1 | 29-8 |
| 26 | Iowa | Iowa is 7-8 in the first two quadrants with wins over Ohio State and Michigan State. The Hawkeyes' next game is Friday at Nebraska. | NR | 19-15 |
