Tom Izzo mismanaged end of Michigan State upset
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Michigan State coach Tom Izzo couldn’t find a way to get his team better looks late in their loss to Syracuse — but he left two of his key players on the bench during crunch time.Izzo leaned on sixth-year senior Ben Carter in the center of the Syracuse zoTom Izzo mismanaged end of Michigan State upset
Michigan State coach Tom Izzo couldn’t find a way to get his team better looks late in their loss to Syracuse — but he left two of his key players on the bench during crunch time.Izzo leaned on sixth-year senior Ben Carter in the center of the Syracuse zone late in the 55-53 loss while freshman Jaren Jackson Jr. and sophomore Nick Ward sat on the bench.Jackson is a projected lottery pick, and Ward had put up 10 points in 16 minutes of action before Izzo relegated him to cheerleader duty down the stretch.In fact, Syracuse’s Braedon Bayer, a former walk-on pressed into duty due to foul trouble after playing just 11 minutes all season, ended up seeing more time on the floor during the second half than Ward did. Izzo did, however, entrust Carter with playing in the middle of the zone. Carter hadn’t played double-digit minutes since November, but Izzo gave him 23 here, surpassing his previous season-high of 19. He scored only two points, and in one notable moment, he seemed to have a good look at the top of the ke Read more