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Michigan State Basketball: 5 takeaways from title-clinching Illinois win

By Connor Muldowney

EAST LANSING, MI - FEBRUARY 20: Cassius Winston #5 of the Michigan State Spartans drives to the basket while defended by Te'Jon Lucas #3 of the Illinois Fighting Illini in the first half at the Breslin Center on February 20, 2018 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)
EAST LANSING, MI - FEBRUARY 20: Cassius Winston #5 of the Michigan State Spartans drives to the basket while defended by Te'Jon Lucas #3 of the Illinois Fighting Illini in the first half at the Breslin Center on February 20, 2018 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images) /
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Illinois was no match for Michigan State on Tuesday night as the Spartans clinched the Big Ten title. What’d we learn?

Could you imagine a better way to clinch a Big Ten regular season title? On Senior Night with potentially two underclassmen — Miles Bridges and Jaren Jackson Jr. — playing their final game at Michigan State, the Spartans were able to throttle Illinois, 81-61, and clinch the conference crown.

Illinois hung tough through the first half, but just didn’t have the depth nor firepower to keep up with the Spartans’ high-powered attack. Michigan State is now 27-3 on the season and 15-2 in Big Ten play. A win over Wisconsin this weekend would give the Spartans their first outright Big Ten title since 2009.

Tum Tum Nairn, Gavin Schilling and Ben Carter all started in their final home game as Spartans while Cassius Winston, Nick Ward and Jackson Jr. all approached Tom Izzo and selflessly offered their spots in the lineup. This team continues to impress both on and off the court.

What’d we learn from the 20-point win over Illinois?

5. Xavier Tillman is going to be a special player

If there’s one role player that doesn’t quite get the credit he deserves when he’s on the floor, it’s freshman big man Xavier Tillman.

The young forward is still learning how to play at the collegiate level, but he makes the most of his limited minutes. He did just that again on Tuesday night against Illinois, scoring five points, grabbing two rebounds and blocking a shot in just nine minutes.

Tillman’s future at Michigan State is incredibly bright, and it doesn’t take extended minutes to prove that. He has never played over 13 minutes in a single game, but in the 10 games he has broken the 10-minute mark, he’s averaging 4.4 points and 3.1 rebounds. Just imagine what he can do when he averages 20-25 minutes per game in a year or two.

Tom Izzo really likes Tillman and has compared him to Draymond Green and if he can be anything like the former Spartan, Michigan State will be in luck.

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