Michigan State basketball gets glimpse of future in Green Bay win
Michigan State basketball got a glimpse into the future of the program in a 104-83 win over Green Bay on Sunday evening. Who stood out?
Early on, it had the feel of a battle with Middle Tennessee from back in the 2016 NCAA Tournament. Green Bay wasn’t missing shots and defense seemed optional on both ends, but the Phoenix were one step ahead through the first six minutes, or so.
The Phoenix started 10-for-15 from the field and had a five point lead with about 14 minutes left. After that, it was all Michigan State. The Spartans went on a 47-13 run to end the half, taking a 64-35 lead into the locker room, capped off by a steal and 3-pointer in the corner as the buzzer sounded by Xavier Tillman as he walked off the court with his hands in the air.
The defense was shaky all evening, especially in the second half, but Michigan State got a glimpse into its future as Gabe Brown scored a career-high 11 points, Foster Loyer also hit a career-best with 10 points with an assist and Xavier Tillman scored six with eight rebounds, three blocks and three steals.
Although Tom Izzo was displeased with his team’s defense, he had to be content with the career games from Brown and Loyer and yet another solid performance from Tillman. On top of that, Marcus Bingham Jr. played six minutes, scoring a point with three blocks and two rebounds. Thomas Kithier played four minutes and Aaron Henry was on the court for 11 but neither hit the scoring column.
Michigan State needed a blowout game like this to get the young guys some extended minutes and they took advantage. Loyer and Bingham Jr. clearly need to add some strength to compete at their respective positions, but Brown looked like a serious 3-point threat off the bench.
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The Spartans are 9-2 on the season after the win and if it weren’t for a second-half defensive lapse, this would have been a 40-point game with how well MSU played offensively. Nick Ward led the way with 28 points and Cassius Winston had 16 points and 12 assists. The future looks bright, but so does the present.