Michigan State Basketball: 5 takeaways from quarterfinal win over Wisconsin

Despite Wisconsin’s scrappy play, Michigan State basketball came away with a quarterfinal win on Friday afternoon to advance to the tourney semifinal.

Is it Sunday yet? Michigan State got its second straight battle from Wisconsin after the Badgers took the Spartans down to the wire on Sunday afternoon in the regular season finale. The quarterfinal matchup ended in another Michigan State win, but this time it was 63-60.

Miles Bridges led the way with 20 points, his first 20-point performance since Feb. 10 against Purdue. The win improves Michigan State to 29-3 on the season and keeps the hope for a No. 1 seed alive. The Spartans will take on the winner of Nebraska and Michigan on Saturday.

What’d we learn from Michigan State’s third win over Wisconsin this year?

5. Matt McQuaid’s confidence is crucial

Although Matt McQuaid didn’t have the biggest impact on Friday’s outcome, he made the shot that arguably put the game away. When he’s hitting his shots, Michigan State is a different animal — teams will have to worry about him as an offensive weapon off the bench.

However, when he’s playing without confidence, the Spartans’ bench production is lackluster, at best. Although I’ve keyed Xavier Tillman as one of the more important role players of late, McQuaid might be the most crucial player off the bench.

Confidence is an important thing for the junior guard who feeds off momentum and provides a spark off the bench. He may not realize it, but McQuaid is one of the most important players for Michigan State’s deep March run.