LOS ANGELES — Mick Cronin said he knew he was actually in the Big Ten when, at the conference’s media day back in October, he ran into Michigan State coach Tom Izzo. Izzo is the longest-tenured head coach in the Big Ten. He took over for the Spartans when he was 40 years old. He’s 70 now and in his 30th season at the helm.

It was a simple message from Tom Izzo following Michigan State's loss at USC on Saturday: "what starts bad, ends bad."

Following the game, Tom Izzo had high praise for the Trojans. "They got good players, and they got good size," Izzo said. "Those guards are bigger than ours, and the 4-men are smaller. And it was just a tough matchup for us.

After the Michigan State basketball team won their 13th straight game, it marks a first for Tom Izzo in his 30 years with the program.

This is the Spartans’ first loss outside of Quad 1, but they also have just two wins over teams that would be safely in the field today.

Michigan State continues to get it done without a true star while showcasing a lineup that regularly goes 10 deep. The Spartans are the lone team in the AP Top 25 with only one player averaging double figures in scoring (Jaden Akins at 13.6) and that’s obviously difficult for opponents to scout and defend.

No. 7 Michigan State men's basketball suffered its first Big Ten loss of the season on Saturday when it was defeated by USC, 70-64. Spartans coach Tom Izzo shared his thoughts afterward.