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Michigan State Basketball: Report card for blowout win over No. 5 Notre Dame

By Connor Muldowney

EAST LANSING, MI - NOVEMBER 30: Nick Ward #44 of the Michigan State Spartans posts up against Austin Torres #1 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the game at Breslin Center on November 30, 2017 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)
EAST LANSING, MI - NOVEMBER 30: Nick Ward #44 of the Michigan State Spartans posts up against Austin Torres #1 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the game at Breslin Center on November 30, 2017 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images) /
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Michigan State basketball had no problem taking down Notre Dame on Thursday night. What does the Spartans’ report card from the win look like?

For the second straight game, Michigan State handled a top-10 opponent by 18 points. This time, the Spartans beat No. 5 Notre Dame, 81-63. The game seemed to be over from the opening tip as the Spartans raced out to a 31-11 lead in the first half and didn’t look back.

Notre Dame made it slightly interesting in the second half, bringing it within eight, but Michigan State stepped on the gas and closed out with a big win. The Spartans are now 6-1 on the year and Tom Izzo’s team looks as scary as any in college basketball.

What does the Spartans’ report card look like from their sixth win of the season and second straight over a top-10 opponent from the ACC?

Bench: B+

The bench was surprisingly effective on Thursday night. I shouldn’t say surprisingly because many teams around the country would jump at the opportunity to use just about anyone on the Spartans’ bench as a starter.

Michigan State’s bench shot a combined 6-of-11 from the floor and had 16 total points and 23 rebounds. On top of that, it had 10 assists and two blocks, showing that it’s not just there for worst-case scenarios, but it can also produce at a high level against top-tier opponents.

Let’s start with the bigs. Gavin Schilling played probably his best game of the year, scoring two points with four rebounds and he didn’t have a single foul. He has plenty of room to grow, but not recording a single foul in 14 minutes is a good sign. Ben Carter had two points, four rebounds and a block and contributed 19 solid minutes.

Xavier Tillman played just eight minutes and had three points, five rebounds and a block. He’s been extremely effective in limited action. Kenny Goins also came back to play just four minutes and he had two rebounds.

Now onto the guards. Tum Tum Nairn had five assists and two rebounds with just one turnover, but didn’t score. As long as he’s facilitating, he’s effective. Matt McQuaid had nine points and four assists. He needs to continue gaining confidence.

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