Michigan State Basketball: Final player grades for 2017-18 season

Bench

If there was one area where Matt McQuaid improved drastically this past season, it had to be defensively. He was voted, by teammates, as one of the team’s top defenders, along with Josh Langford. Although his shooting touch was hit-or-miss, he averaged 6.0 points and he was known for making the big 3-pointer in key situations. Expect to see an uptick in production in 2018-19 from McQuaid.

We may be seeing the rise of Xavier Tillman in a Michigan State uniform. Not many players showed the progression Tillman did throughout the 2017-18 season but he became an important part of the rotation at the end of the year. His defense improved as well as he finished the season with 23 blocks. He was a spark off the bench and could find himself in the starting lineup as a sophomore. If he develops a jumper, he could be a future Big Ten Player of the Year candidate.

It’s hard to give Tum Tum a lower grade since he’s been such a great piece to this Michigan State program, but he had an average senior campaign as the backup point guard. His minutes decreased as the year progressed because of Cassius Winston’s rise, but he was a solid defender and passer. He finished the season with 1.7 points and 2.9 assists per game and surprisingly shot 50 percent from the floor.

Kenny Goins was a starting forward for the Spartans last season but his role was minimized as a junior, averaging 13.9 minutes. He was able to come in and defend stretch-fours well but his offense made him somewhat of a liability. He’s not on the court for his offense, though, and could have a decent role as a senior. Not a bad season for a former walk-on.

It was tough to see Gavin Schilling’s Spartan career end with him on the bench against Syracuse, but he kept a positive attitude. He didn’t play a ton this season, averaging just 9.6 minutes and scoring 2.9 points with 3.4 rebounds. He had a quiet senior season but the highlights had to be a huge alley-oop slam against Michigan and battling with Isaac Haas and being an integral figure in the Spartans’ win over Purdue.

Although he would have been a major addition if he were healthy in 2016-17, Ben Carter was granted a sixth year of eligibility in 2017-18 but played minimally. He played in just 23 games, averaging 7.7 minutes and finished the year with 15 points, 20 assists and 28 rebounds. This grade isn’t as much about his effectiveness when he did play, but rather his minimal impact. However, he did become a great leader off the court and he helped make his teammates better.