Five takeaways from IU basketball’s loss at Michigan State

Tucker DeVries handles the ball against Michigan State.

IU basketball suffered its first 20-point loss of the season, falling 81-60 to Michigan State on Tuesday night at the Breslin Center. The loss dropped the Hoosiers to 12-5 overall and 3-3 in Big Ten play.

Here are five takeaways from the loss to the Spartans:

Second-half collapses continue

Indiana’s poor second-half play continued on Tuesday night in East Lansing.

The Hoosiers trailed by seven at the break, tied the game at 51 and again at 53 and then went away without a fight as Michigan State dominated the final 11:19.

In four of IU’s five losses, the Hoosiers have either led at the break or tied the game in the second half only to fall flat when it mattered most.

At Minnesota, the Hoosiers led by as many as eight in the first half, had a tie game at the break and lost by nine at Williams Arena.

At Kentucky, Indiana led by nine in the first half, by seven at halftime and lost 72-60 at Rupp Arena.

Against Nebraska, the Hoosiers led by nine at halftime, by as many as 16 in the second half and lost 83-77 at Assembly Hall.

Tuesday’s loss was the latest example of failed execution when it matters most from an Indiana team full of upperclassmen and seniors.

Turnovers fuel Michigan State’s offense

For the second straight game, turnovers were a significant issue for Indiana.

Over the weekend, in a loss to Nebraska, Indiana turned it over on 20.9 percent of its possessions. The 14 turnovers committed by the Hoosiers only led to 11 points for the Huskers.

Michigan State, however, was far better equipped to capitalize on Indiana’s live-ball mistakes. The Spartans are great in transition and when the Hoosiers coughed up the ball, it was usually a bucket on the other end.

Indiana committed 14 turnovers in Tuesday’s loss, leading to 29 points for Michigan State. The Spartans also outscored Indiana 25-12 in fast-break points.

The turnover percentage of 21.6 against Michigan State was Indiana’s third-highest mark of the season.

Indiana’s front court can’t match up against Michigan State

As the level of competition increases in Big Ten play, Indiana’s front court is being tested by the conference’s better teams. On Tuesday, the duo of Reed Bailey and Sam Alexis didn’t pass the test.

In Tuesday’s loss, Bailey played 18 minutes before fouling out. He scored five points, had seven rebounds and committed four turnovers.

Sam Alexis, the starter at the five for the Hoosiers, had six points in 16 minutes and didn’t record a rebound in the loss.

In total, Alexis and Bailey combined to shoot 4-for-7 from the floor, 3-for-4 from the line and scored 11 points with seven rebounds. That’s not good enough against an opponent like Michigan State, particularly on the glass.

The two primary bigs in the Michigan State rotation, Jaxon Kohler and Carson Cooper, combined for 23 points and 17 rebounds.

For the game, Michigan State grabbed 48.1 percent of its missed shots and scored 11 second-chance points. Through six Big Ten games, Indiana is 11th in defensive rebounding percentage and is allowing its opponents to shoot 57.9 percent on 2s, which ranks 15th in the conference.

Shooting slump continues for Tucker DeVries

The Indiana offense was built to take and make 3-pointers at a high percentage.

Lamar Wilkerson continues to do just that, as the Sam Houston transfer is 61-for-144 on 3s this season – 42.4 percent. In Big Ten play, Wilkerson is 28-for-60 on 3s. His mark of 46.7 percent is the 10th-best in the conference.

Tucker DeVries, however, remains mired in a slump that has proven costly for Indiana’s offense. Without any consistency from DeVries, the Hoosiers are without a consistent second scoring option.

For the season, DeVries is now 46-for-140 on 3s (32.9 percent). In Big Ten play, the numbers are even worse.

With Tuesday’s 1-for-7 performance on 3s at Michigan State, DeVries is now 10-for-41 on 3s in conference play, good for only 24.4 percent.

Indiana had no answer for Jeremy Fears Jr.

It was a tale of two halves for Jeremy Fears. And he dominated both halves for Michigan State.

In the opening 20 minutes, Fears had his offensive game going, shooting 6-for-8 from the field and 6-for-8 from the free-throw line.

The redshirt sophomore point guard finished the first half with 19 points in 16 minutes, setting the tone as Michigan State led 39-32 at the break.

And in the second half, Fears took on the role that he’s most known for: elite distributor. In 17 minutes, he dished out seven assists and the Spartans were +13 with him on the floor.

For the game, Fears was the best player on the floor, finishing with 23 points, 10 assists, four rebounds and two steals in 33 minutes. He drew six fouls in the win for the Spartans.

(Photo credit: IU Athletics)

See More: Five Takeaways, Lamar Wilkerson, Reed Bailey, Sam Alexis, Tucker DeVries