Michigan State Basketball: 3 things we learned vs. Kansas

Michigan State basketball came up just short against Kansas in the second round, but what did we learn from the defeat?

As the final seconds ticked off the clock, Michigan State basketball fans breathed a sigh of relief while still in a state of sadness. The season was over, but that marked the fresh start of the 2017-18 campaign, hopefully with less injuries and another dynamic recruiting class coming in.

Must Read: MSU Recruiting: Top 7 remaining 2018 basketball targets

Kansas stuck it to the Spartans, 90-70, but the final score doesn’t indicate just how close the game was for the most part. Michigan State pulled within one in the middle of the second half before Nick Ward picked up his fourth foul and had to head to the bench. Kansas began pulling away, but Michigan State trimmed it to five, 69-64, but that’s as close as it would get.

Unfortunately, the season is over for the Spartans, but there’s nothing to hang their heads about. This team won 20 games despite having three season-ending injuries and playing four freshmen more than Tom Izzo ever has before.

However, what did we learn from the Spartans season-ending loss to Kansas?

1. Michigan State can’t win with Nick Ward on the bench

The +/- stats were alarming. With Nick Ward on the bench, Michigan State was sitting at -18 at one point, but when he was in the game, the Spartans were +10. What does this mean? Well, when Ward was in the game, the Spartans were on the positive side of things, but it’s when he’s on the bench that the lead for Kansas grew. This is something to take note on for next season. Keep Ward in the game as much as possible and success will be evident.

2. Not enough firepower to keep up with Kansas

Kansas just had too many weapons and the Spartans couldn’t keep up. The Jayhawks’ offense was dominant in the second half, scoring 50 points as Michigan State struggled to get stops. It was clear that the Spartans ran out of gas while Kansas kept pouring it on late. The Spartans didn’t have enough talent, scoring options to keep up with the Jayhawks for the full 40 minutes, but for 30 of those, it was a close game.

3. Unfinished business

While this could be the end for Miles Bridges, there’s one thing in particular that may pull him back to East Lansing next season and that’s unfinished business. The freshman sensation had an incredible season and he’s projected to be a potential lottery pick, but the way Michigan State lost definitely irked him. After the game he didn’t give any indication of which way he was leaning, but it did seem like he was frustrated with the way it ended. Will he end his career that way or will he give Michigan State one more shot?

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