Michigan State Basketball: 5 reasons Spartans will beat UCLA

Michigan State Basketball: 5 reasons Spartans will beat UCLA in Vegas Invitational

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - NOVEMBER 06: Joshua Langford #1 of the Michigan State Spartans shoots the ball against the Kansas Jayhawks during the State Farm Champions Classic at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on November 6, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

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EAST LANSING, MI – NOVEMBER 14: Nick Ward #44 of the Michigan State Spartans reacts after injuring his ankle during the first half the first half at Breslin Center on November 14, 2018 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images) /

2. A healthy Nick Ward is scary

Bad news, Bruins, Nick Ward is healthy and showing no signs of a previous ankle injury. That’s frightening for opponents as Ward can be the most dominant player on the court when he’s on his game.

Ward went down five minutes into the UL-Monroe game with a non-contact injury that looked to be worst-case scenario for the Spartans and he still managed to score four points with three rebounds. He returned against Tennessee Tech to have one of the best games of his career, scoring 23 points on 10-of-12 shooting to go along with six rebounds. He was an absolute monster in the post.

The Bruins have some bigs that can match up with Ward, but no one with the same type of footwork that he has. He can put a move on a defender and force him to foul or make him look silly on his way to an old-fashioned three-point play.

The junior big man will have a big game against the Bruins because, well, he’s healthy and motivated.

Since that shaky performance against Kansas, he looks like a new player and that’s bad news for the rest of college basketball.

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