Tom Izzo challenges Michigan State to match his best Big Ten team

EAST LANSING – Michigan State was just minutes away from its 10th straight victory.

Seven weeks since their last loss and undefeated in Big Ten play, the No. 12 Spartans were ripped Wednesday night by coach Tom Izzo.

“I think they probably thought I was crazy, to be very honest with you,” Izzo said after practice Friday. “Probably some of the other students, some of the juniors, most of the fans, my wife. It’s hard to understand that I know how good we are … but we’re not like some of the teams I’ve had. Can we get there? Maybe.”

After Wednesday’s 90-85 win against Penn State, Izzo’s ire was focused on the defensive end. It was the third straight game Michigan State (15-2, 6-0 Big Ten) allowed at least 40 points in the second half.

“It wasn’t the one game, it wasn’t two games, it was three games, and that was our future. … The reality of it all was we’ve got to play better for 40 minutes, ” Izzo said.

Jaden Akins, the team’s only player to score in double figures (14.2), wasn’t surprised by Izzo’s reaction. The senior guard and co-captain is in his fourth season under the 30-year Hall of Fame coach and has been through this before.

“He expects a lot from his players,” Akins said, “and when you don’t play up to your standard, you’re going to hear about it.”

The sense of urgency is heightened ahead of a big challenge with Michigan State hosting No. 19 Illinois (13-4, 5-2) Sunday (noon, CBS) at the Breslin Center. Extending the program’s longest winning streak to six years will be a challenge for the last undefeated team in Big Ten play.

“It’s the best team in the league right now,” Izzo said of Illinois, “and that includes us. … It’s important that we play well, and it might not be good enough, but it’s important that we playing well, I think, to find out our team.”

Illinois, which suffered top-10 losses to Alabama and Tennessee earlier this season, has won six of seven and is coming off a 94-69 blowout win at Indiana. An overhauled roster features five players averaging double figures in scoring, led by Kasparas Jakucionis at 16.7 points per game. match. The 6-foot-6 freshman from Lithuania is also averaging 5.4 rebounds and a team-high 5.4 assists, and Izzo plans to throw more defenders at him.

“He’s very comfortable in his own skin, not cocky, very unselfish, looks like a joy to coach, to be very honest with you,” he said of Jakucionis. “I was really impressed to see him.”

Illinois, like Michigan State, isn’t very efficient beyond the arc, but is fifth in the nation in scoring (87.3). That’s a concern for the Spartans, who allowed Penn State to hit 65.2 percent of its shots, including 6-for-9 from 3-point range, in the second half.

“If we give up 50 percent from the field and then 40 from the 3, we’re definitely going to get blown out,” guard Tre Holloman said after beating the Nittany Lions.

A midday tip on Sunday against a ranked team with CBS broadcasting the game is what Izzo was begging for early in his career. As he tries to push a deep team to reach its potential, the focus remains on measuring up to the best in the Big Ten.

“You’re here because you can play in those games,” Izzo said. “It’s a privilege. If you’re going to play against the best teams, it takes your best effort, otherwise you’re not going to win those games.”