Locked On Spartans - Daily Podcast On Michigan State Spartans Football & Basketball · Locked On Podcast Network, Matt Sheehan

NEED TO SEE: MSU basketball MUST show improved guard play at Big Ten Tournament; UCLA surging

·33 min·2 clips

Michigan State’s backup point guard has the highest turnover percentage in the Big Ten.

1. Locked On Spartans centers this episode on Michigan State’s Big Ten Tournament opener against UCLA and what the Spartans need to show before the NCAA Tournament. 2. Host Matt Sheehan frames the discussion as a guard-play checkup, because Michigan State’s March hopes run through Jordan Scott, Jeremy Fears, and the backup point guard minutes. 3. The episode asks what needs to happen in the Big Ten Tournament to make fans feel better about Michigan State, help the team, and fit Tom Izzo’s view of March. 4. The first concern is Jordan Scott, whose six straight double-digit scoring games were followed by nine, three, five, and two points. 5. Sheehan compares Scott’s dip to Max Christie’s late-February freshman wall and notes that Scott has been asked to defend high-level opponents for 26-plus minutes in 10 of his last 11 games. 6. Another priority is keeping Michigan State healthy and avoiding unnecessary wear before the national tournament. 7. The host expects Izzo to tighten the bench later, but wants early Big Ten Tournament minutes for Cam Ward, Kurt Tang, Denim Wojcik, Jesse McCullough, and Trey Fort. 8. He says the bench work is not about transforming roles overnight, but about preserving legs and giving less-used players high-pressure reps. 9. Jeremy Fears is a separate focus, because Izzo used the phrase “pit bull” and wants more urgency from the sophomore leader. 10. The host says Fears has scored 20-plus points in each of the last three games and has improved his mid-range and paint scoring. 11. The most forceful argument is for a backup point guard experiment, because the current option has the highest turnover percentage in the Big Ten. 12. Sheehan also says that player has the second-highest turnover percentage among Big Ten players since COVID started. 13. He references earlier games against Ohio State and Rutgers as missed chances to try Jordan Scott or Trey Fort at point guard in a low-pressure setting. 14. UCLA is the opponent, and the host says the Bruins have gone 5-1 with an overtime win over Illinois, two wins over USC, and a convincing win over Rutgers. 15. He highlights Donovan Dent’s surge, including 55 points across two USC games and more than 10 assists per game in the last six contests with only three total turnovers. 16. Tyler Bilodeau, Eric Dailey Jr., and Sky Clark are part of the scouting report, and Sheehan says UCLA is playing much better than it did a few weeks ago. 17. The episode’s tone is anxious and conversational, with repeated appeals to Spartan listeners and frequent references to March pressure. 18. The format mixes solo analysis with listener tweets, while also breaking for multiple ad reads and a quick UCLA scouting segment. 19. Michigan State fans tracking guard play, seeding, and March readiness. 20. Casual listeners looking for polished production over a long ad-heavy segment.

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