EAST LANSING, Mich. – No. 8 Michigan State is preparing for another Senior Day celebration, a time to honor the careers of their seniors. However, the Spartans’ primary focus will be on their upcoming rivalry game against Michigan.
Michigan State is riding a six-game win streak and is determined to finish the regular season with another victory before heading into the Big Ten Tournament with momentum.
The seniors being recognized include Jaden Akins, a fourth-year Spartan, and transfers Frankie Fidler and Szymon Zapala, who joined Michigan State last offseason.
Spartans head coach Tom Izzo spoke to the media on Friday, previewing the Senior Day festivities and the rivalry game ahead.
Here is a snippet from Izzo’s postgame remarks following the Spartans’ 91-84 victory over Iowa on Thursday:
Izzo: “Iowa outplayed us for 75% of that game. They did a great job. I came here five or six years ago with Miles Bridges, and we were an average team after losing three centers. Iowa competed hard tonight, and I want to give credit to them. Payton Sandfort has had an incredible career, and it’s been a privilege to see him in this league. Fran McCaffery better keep grinding because he’s a great coach. We didn’t come ready to play in the first half. We tried to change our identity, shooting 16 threes and not playing defense, which hurt us.
They were dominating us in every way. Did we wear them down? Maybe. We did a better job of defending in the second half, but we were outplayed for most of the game. I do give my team credit for showing character on the road and coming back when it didn’t look like our night. It was a tough win, and the final score doesn’t reflect how hard Iowa played. Their offense is the toughest I’ve faced all year, including teams like Kansas, Carolina, and Memphis.”
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