Michigan State Basketball: 5 takeaways from overtime win over Rutgers

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EAST LANSING, MI – JANUARY 10: Cassius Winston #5 of the Michigan State Spartans looks to shoot the ball during a game against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Breslin Center on January 10, 2018 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images) /

4. Spartans are having a tough time shooting out of slump

As a team through the first 16 games, Michigan State was shooting about 54 percent from the floor. The Spartans had been one of the hottest shooting teams in the country, also draining a high amount of 3-pointers. However, they have seemingly fallen under a cold spell.

Michigan State is shooting just 40 percent as a team over the past two games. One of those happened to be a 16-point road loss to Ohio State and Wednesday night’s showing was an overtime victory over a Scarlet Knights team that should have been handled relatively easily.

This shooting slump may have been just a two-gamer, but the Spartans need to figure out a way to counter the poor shooting from mid-range and deep with some easy buckets. Michigan State is already one of the best passing teams in the country, but it hasn’t shown the best ability to find that open man for easy buckets over the last two games.

The Spartans did shoot 47 percent from 3-point range, but that’s not a habit this team wants to get into. Guys like Miles Bridges, Cassius Winston and Matt McQuaid need to bust out of this slump that they’re in. That’s been the major difference over the past two games.

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