The Michigan State Spartans earned a convincing 70-53 win in their exhibition match on Sunday against Northern Michigan University in Marquette, Michigan. This was the first meeting between the two schools since 2018, which was also an exhibition game.
The return to the Upper Peninsula was long-awaited for Northern Michigan alum and Spartans head coach Tom Izzo, as his No. 10 was retired inside the Superior Dome prior to the game. Izzo was a three-year player with the Wildcats from 1973-77.
After the game, in humble Izzo fashion, he gave credit to everyone else on his special day while acknowledging some criticisms even in a 17-point win.
“I didn’t want a homecoming about me, I wanted a homecoming for all the people that helped me get to where I got,” Izzo said. “That means all the great people of these communities, the former players, Mooch [Steve Mariucci] and Mike Garland, and it was a special time for me. So, I can’t be too critical of my team because I kind of took away from some of it and so I’ll blame me for a little bit of how we played, I’ll give Northern [Michigan] credit for how they played, and give my players a little blame that we didn’t do enough things that we need to do to be successful.”
Offensively, the Spartans scored enough to win by double digits but still left some points on the table, shooting just 43.1% from the field which is under their average from last season (46.1%). They did shoot the lights out from three-point range, making eight of 17 attempts.
However, two Spartans scored in double figures, one of them being freshman guard Jase Richardson, which was no surprise to many. Son of former Spartan and 14-year NBA veteran Jason Richardson, Jase was the team’s leading scorer with 11 points and four assists, nailing two 3s.
Jase Richardson played his first game in a Spartan jersey and spoke after about what his early experience has been like with the program.
“I mean, it’s been great being here with coach Izzo and my team,” Richardson said after the game. ‘I feel like we have a really solid team, today we didn’t execute on a lot of things but it’s still really early in the season. But I definitely think that we have a really good team, and I’ve been enjoying my experience so far.”
Sophomore forward Xavier Booker was the other shining star from Sunday, posting 10 points and three blocks. He is a guy who is looking for a considerable increase in minutes and production in his second season with the program.
“Last year up until this point now, I’ve put in a lot of work,” Booker said. “[I’ve] gotten stronger, put on a lot of weight, so kind of this last season experiencing it, getting the feel for college basketball has definitely helped. Then this past summer, going to Spain and just working all summer, it definitely helped. My mindset going into this season is just taking care of what I need to take care of in terms of defense, rebounding, I mean, the team is going to need me to score, so make shots, just do everything for the team.”
Junior forward Jaxon Kohler also looked good, as he nearly put up a double-double with nine points and eight rebounds. He is showing early that he is going to maintain a strong post presence while scoring the basketball at a higher clip.
Izzo was able to spread the minutes as 15 different Spartans got in the game, 11 of which were able to score a bucket. This was a game for the Spartan coaching staff to get a feel for each guy and introduce the freshman to what Division-I college basketball is like.
A few points of improvement can still be recognized from an easy victory as the Spartans as fouls and turnovers were the only two issues. 14 turnovers was extremely high for a team that averaged just under 10 in the Big Ten last season, and 16 personal fouls is an alarming problem Michigan State will have to clean up.
The Spartans will play one more exhibition game against Ferris State at home on Oct. 29. It would be the last chance to make adjustments before the regular season starts in early November.
Read all our coverage from Sunday’s “Superior Dome Showdown” below:
Spartans Handle Northern Michigan 70-53 in ‘Superior Dome Showdown’
WATCH: Booker, Richardson Speak on ‘Superior Dome Showdown’
WATCH: MSU’s Tom Izzo Speaks on ‘Superior Dome Showdown’
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