No. 12 Spartans Face Turnover Challenge Against Penn State’s Press

EAST LANSING, Mich. – The No. 12 Michigan State Spartans (14-2, 5-0 Big Ten) are bracing for a critical test Wednesday night as they host Penn State (12-5, 2-4) at Breslin Center. The matchup pits the Spartans’ nine-game winning streak against the Nittany Lions’ relentless full-court press, which ranks 11th nationally in forced turnovers at 16.41 per game.

Michigan State’s recent struggles with ball security came to the forefront during Sunday’s game against Northwestern, where they committed eight of their 11 turnovers in a 14-minute second-half stretch. Despite the miscues, the Spartans held on for the win, but head coach Tom Izzo knows his team must improve against Penn State’s aggressive defense.

“They’re going to create some problems for us, and we have to make sure we match up and realize what’s gotten us here,” Izzo said Monday. “What’s gotten us here is attention to detail with our scouting and players starting to learn how to take that into the game.”

Penn State’s defensive prowess is led by reigning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Ace Baldwin Jr., who averages 2.0 steals per game. However, Baldwin’s status remains uncertain after he missed Sunday’s 82-81 loss to No. 14 Oregon with a back injury. The 6-foot-1 senior guard suffered the injury during a blowout loss at Illinois last week.

Even without Baldwin, Penn State’s defense remains formidable. The Nittany Lions lead the Big Ten in steals during conference play at 9.3 per game and rank 16th nationally in turnover margin at plus-4.8. Coach Mike Rhoades, who brought Baldwin with him from VCU, has implemented a swarming defensive system that creates chaos for opponents.

Michigan State’s turnover issues have been a season-long concern. The Spartans rank 208th nationally at 12.4 turnovers per game and sit 15th out of 18 Big Ten teams in that category. In conference play, they’re giving the ball away 13.0 times per game, the fourth-worst mark in the league.

Redshirt freshman point guard Jeremy Fears Jr., who ranks third in the Big Ten with 6.4 assists per game, acknowledged the team’s need for better focus. “Usually, if we have a good start especially, we sometimes lose focus, which leads to (an opponent) making a run or scoring more than they did in the first half,” Fears said. “So it’s really just us being focused for the whole 40 minutes.”

Wednesday’s game tips off at 7:30 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network. The Spartans will look to extend their winning streak to 10 games, while Penn State aims to bounce back from its narrow loss to Oregon and improve its conference standing.