For the second time in the 2025 NCAA Tournament, Michigan State basketball took a major punch in the first half from a feisty opponent but was able to pull away in the second half. In the Round of 32, the Spartans beat New Mexico 71 to 63 after going into halftime down to the Lobos.

Below, you can see our three key takeaways from the game:

Tom Izzo adding Coen Carr to starting lineup in the second half was brilliant

After heading into halftime down two to New Mexico, the Spartans emerged in the second half with a different opening lineup. Tom Izzo made the decision to switch out Jaxon Kohler for Coen Carr at power forward. There was one very clear reason why he did this: Mustapha Amzil. Amzil went off for 12 points in the first half when being guarded by Kohler, so Izzo put one of his lockdown defenders, Coen Carr, in the game to shut him down. Amzil only scored two more points the rest of the game, and Coen Carr added eight points, six rebounds, and a massive block along with his defense.

MSU’s veteran guards lead the way

In a night where freshman phenom Jase Richardson struggled from the field, Michigan State was carried on the offensive end by their veteran guards Tre Holloman and Jaden Akins. Those two led the Spartans in scoring with a combined 30 points, hitting the Spartans’ only made three-pointers on the night.

Frankie Fidler was a hero for MSU in this win

Frankie Fidler might not be the 20-point-per-game scorer some hoped to see this year, but he has been a vital piece off the bench, routinely helping the Spartans find some steady scoring when things get tight. While he hasn’t shot the ball well this year, he has found a great role in the offense with his willingness to drive to the basket and draw contact. Fidler had 10 points in this one.

Carson Cooper might deserve a starting spot

No matter what, I know that Carson Cooper will end up getting minutes every game with the way MSU uses their center rotation, but I am starting to wonder if Cooper has earned a starting spot for the rest of the tournament. He is very active on defense, sets good screens on offense, and has been rebounding the ball really well (he had a team-high eight rebounds against New Mexico and nine rebounds against Bryant). It might be time to give him the honor of starting the game at center.

I am not worried about Jase Richardson

Jase Richardson had one of his worst games as a starter against New Mexico, only scoring six points on 1-for-10 shooting. However, I am not concerned about Richardson. For one, he scored 15 points against Bryant and looked unbelievable in the second half of that win. But I also think it was clear that New Mexico was overplaying Richardson, and playing him very physically, to try and make other Spartans beat them instead. Even as he struggled to make shots, Richardson played a huge role in putting New Mexico in foul trouble, as the Lobos ended up committing twice as many fouls as MSU.

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