Michigan State Basketball: 5 takeaways from blowout win over North Carolina

4. Nick Ward made necessary improvements

When Bill Walton calls you the “MVP of the game” you know it’s, uh, somewhat true. The former NBA star turned psychedelic broadcaster was praising Nick Ward’s game all night and it’s probably because he loves good post play as a former big himself.

It was true, though. Ward looked to be dominant for the most part as guys like Luke Maye and Theo Pinson had a tough time containing him.

Ward finished with just seven points, which isn’t a great game for the sophomore, but it’s effective. He also added eight rebounds and four blocks and had just two fouls. He looked like a man amongst boys and the major improvement he made was on the defensive end.

In fact, his four blocks were a season-high and that was a good development as he didn’t reach over the top of the Carolina players. He kept his feet moving and his hands straight up in the air. He was much more active on defense, and Tom Izzo loved it.

However, he could work on reducing turnovers in the post.