Michigan State basketball suffered their first loss of the 2025-26 season at the hands of Duke in a top 10 showdown inside of the Breslin Center on Saturday afternoon.For a while it looked like Michigan State was going to pull this game out, but unfortunately, they did not make enough winning plays down the stretch.This will be a good game for Tom Izzo to use to teach his team going into Big Ten play. The Spartans head man spoke to the media after the game:”Those are effort-related and intelligence-related, not skill-related mistakes today.””We got out-rebounded by 1, they had 10 offensive boards, 4 on free throws. Geez.””We just couldn’t make some shots. I have to do a better job.””They went zone, they played this much of it all year. Give credit, they made plays, we didn’t. If players don’t do the things they don’t do, the coach didn’t get through to them. That’s on me. I’ll get through to them on that.””We tried to play Cam Ward, and poor kid has hardly practiced. He probably was not ready.””I thought Jeremy, to be honest, played really well defensively. He missed a couple shots. I wished he pulled up on the runners.””Jordan Scott plays so hard, he gets stuff done.””The place was special today. Where I was from (the bench) it was special. I wish we could’ve given the crowd a win.””We played the best team we have played this year, with the best player we’ve played this year.””We just did not have ‘it’ in that stretch (when up 5). We had strange lineups because we had guys not playing well.””It will be the middle of December before I anoint anyone, to be honest with you.””There were a couple foul calls that were ridiculous. They did not cost us the game.””We missed some layups. If you hit five of the layups we missed… you have to make those layups to win these types of games. I’m discouraged for the fans.””I’m encouraged because we are 8-1. We’ve overcome some average shooting. My point guard is getting better and better every day. I think we got a chance to be really good. Our margin for error is slim, so you can’t miss free throw cut outs.””I felt like we competed. We did not compete intelligently, but we did compete. We had our moments where we held the ball, executed well. We went toe-to-toe with one of the top two-or-three teams in the country.””Doug Wojcik said what he was most impressed with about Cam Boozer is that he is not going to beat himself. I have enjoyed watching him at Duke as anyone I’ve seen at Duke, and I have seen a lot of good ones.””We did not do the little things that could have won us the game.”Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan State news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Cory Linsner on X @Rex_LinzyThis article originally appeared on Spartans Wire: What Tom Izzo said after Michigan State’s loss to Duke