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Michigan State Basketball: 5 takeaways from Long Beach State blowout

By Connor Muldowney

EAST LANSING, MI - DECEMBER 21: Jaren Jackson Jr. #2 of the Michigan State Spartans celebrates from the bench during the game against the Long Beach State 49ers at Breslin Center on December 21, 2017 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)
EAST LANSING, MI - DECEMBER 21: Jaren Jackson Jr. #2 of the Michigan State Spartans celebrates from the bench during the game against the Long Beach State 49ers at Breslin Center on December 21, 2017 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images) /
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EAST LANSING, MI – DECEMBER 21: Nick Ward #44 of the Michigan State Spartans dunks the ball during the game against the Long Beach State 49ers at Breslin Center on December 21, 2017 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)
EAST LANSING, MI – DECEMBER 21: Nick Ward #44 of the Michigan State Spartans dunks the ball during the game against the Long Beach State 49ers at Breslin Center on December 21, 2017 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images) /

3. Nick Ward has been on fire since Rutgers “controversy”

What Nick Ward has been doing to teams lately has been criminal. Until the final seconds of the first half in which Ward was forced to fire a shot from essentially behind the backboard, he had made 17 straight baskets. That attempt at a buzzer-beater from an unfortunate location was his only miss of the game and has now missed just one shot in the last five halves of basketball — that’s incredible.

The sophomore big man from Ohio has been on fire and nothing seems to be slowing him down. Ever since that media-driven controversy against Rutgers, Ward has been lights out.

In fact, he’s averaging 17 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.8 blocks since the benching incident and he’s shooting a red-hot 76 percent from the floor. Oh yeah, and he’s averaging 20.5 points per game which is over two minutes above his season average.

Everything Ward seems to be throwing up right now is going in and he truly looks unstoppable. If he can figure out a way to keep this going, he could be a sure-fire first-team All-Big Ten selection, if he’s not already.

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