Michigan State's Crushing Defeat and Magic Johnson's Triumph

This podcast episode will discuss the Michigan State Spartans' shocking loss to the Northwestern Wildcats in 1979. The Spartans, a strong team led by Magic Johnson, were expected to easily defeat the struggling Wildcats. However, the Spartans played poorly, shooting a season-low 32.8 percent from the field. They were unable to overcome Northwestern's zone defense and reliance on jump shots. The Wildcats, energized by the home crowd, dominated the second half, leading by as many as 15 points.

This upset victory left the Spartans questioning themselves and their ability to compete. Magic Johnson, despite scoring 26 points, was left feeling sick to his stomach, expressing his disbelief at the team's repeated losses. The team's struggles highlighted their over-reliance on Magic Johnson to generate offense and revealed internal problems stemming from their recent string of losses. The episode will explore the factors that contributed to this unexpected outcome and its impact on the Spartans' season.