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Michigan State Basketball: Report card for gritty win over Nebraska

By Connor Muldowney

LINCOLN, NE - JANUARY 17: Head coach Tom Izzo of the Michigan State Spartans watches action during the game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Pinnacle Bank Arena on January 17, 2019 in Lincoln, Nebraska. (Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images)
LINCOLN, NE - JANUARY 17: Head coach Tom Izzo of the Michigan State Spartans watches action during the game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Pinnacle Bank Arena on January 17, 2019 in Lincoln, Nebraska. (Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images) /
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Michigan State basketball showed grit and toughness, pulling off a big win over Nebraska in Lincoln. Who graded the highest on Thursday night?

It was one of those road games in which everyone just assumed Michigan State would suffer its first conference loss. The Spartans traveled to Lincoln to face a Nebraska squad coming off its biggest conference win of the year, a 15-point road triumph over a ranked Indiana team.

Michigan State was able to hit the road and record a crucial win over the Cornhuskers, improving to 7-0 in conference play and 16-2 overall.

It wasn’t pretty, but here’s what Michigan State’s report card looks like following the win over the Cornhuskers in Lincoln.

Bench: B-

Only two guys played more than two minutes and that’s why the grade is this low. You have to tip your cap to Xavier Tillman and Gabe Brown as they both stepped into large roles and did exactly what Tom Izzo wanted and needed them to do.

Let’s start with Tillman. He’s had a solid sophomore season and many are excited about his potential and his future with the program. He could become one of the all-time fan favorites in the Izzo era, and his rise has just begun. He didn’t have his greatest game against Nebraska, though. He scored five points, had six rebounds and four assists, but had three fouls and a turnover.

Tillman missed some open threes but, in due time, he’ll add that shot to his arsenal. He did a little bit of everything on Thursday.

Brown had just three points with four rebounds, but he showed some aggression on the glass and came up with some big boards that helped extend Michigan State’s lead. He was 0-for-3 from three, but had a nifty and-one on a breakaway and played solid defense.

Foster Loyer had a tough two minutes, turning the ball over once and getting whistled for a foul.

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