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Michigan State Basketball: 3 things we learned from Nebraska victory

By Connor Muldowney

Feb 23, 2017; East Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan State Spartans head coach Tom Izzo jokes with Michigan State Spartans guard Miles Bridges (22) during the second half of a game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at the Jack Breslin Student Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 23, 2017; East Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan State Spartans head coach Tom Izzo jokes with Michigan State Spartans guard Miles Bridges (22) during the second half of a game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at the Jack Breslin Student Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports /
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What did we learn about Michigan State basketball from its 16-point win over Nebraska on Thursday night?

Beating Nebraska for the second time on the season was a boost for Michigan State basketball. The Spartans couldn’t afford a loss to the 12-14 Cornhuskers on their home floor and they didn’t take any chances, jumping out to a big lead in the first half and never looking back.

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In fact, the Spartans took an 18-point lead into the locker room thanks to a half-court heave from Cassius Winston. The team played smart, everyone played together and in the end, Michigan State got the result it wanted.

Let’s take a look at what we learned from Michigan State’s win over Nebraska.

1. Offense may run smoother without Eron Harris

This is no disrespect to Eron Harris (or maybe his speech ignited this effective offense), but without him, the offense seemed to run smoother and the Spartans only finished with nine turnovers. That’s been something Tom Izzo has wanted to correct for sometime and the offense wasn’t forcing things as much. Also, the ball movement was tremendous and some guys who wouldn’t normally look for their own shot while Harris was on the floor did just that.

2. Josh Langford could be ‘the guy’ to replace Harris

Izzo talked all week about how he would like to see more out of Alvin Ellis III and Matt McQuaid in the wake of Harris’ season-ending injury, but it was Josh Langford who stepped up to the plate. The freshman guard really stood out on Thursday and finished with 17 points, five rebounds and two steals. This may have been the player everyone was expecting to see from day one and he may just be on an upward trend from here on out.

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3. Cassius Winston is getting smarter with the ball

Eight assists, no turnovers. That’s the kind of stat line from a point guard that can lead a team to championships. The freshman point guard is starting to play smarter with the ball and showed much more care for the rock when it was in his hands. He made no foolish passes or silly mistakes against the Cornhuskers, and that’s a great sign moving forward. He even helped Miles Bridges record one of the best alley-oops of the season.

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