Michigan State Basketball: Report card for comeback win vs. No. 19 Iowa

Late in the second half with the game in hand, Kyle Ahrens made a play on the ball and stumbled awkwardly out of bounds on a non-contact basis. He wouldn’t return as it looked like he re-injured his back but he had a solid game to that point, scoring five points with three rebounds on 2-for-2 shooting. He hit a big three off the bench and continued to provide a steady sixth man. The Spartans will hope he doesn’t miss extended time again.

Coming off a 10-point performance against Maryland, Xavier Tillman had high hopes against Iowa, but he looked average. He didn’t stand out like he usually does but he still managed to record five points and four rebounds but he found himself in foul trouble for most of the night. He struggled to effectively guard Luka Garza, like most of the team did.

Once again, Thomas Kithier was inserted into the lineup and provided solid minutes and a spark off the bench. He scored six points in nine minutes and grabbed five rebounds. He may not have been expected to produce this much when filling in for Nick Ward, Xavier Tillman or Kenny Goins, but Kithier is earning himself more minutes. Before Thursday, he had nine points on the season but he’s scored 10 in the past two games combined.

It’s tough to give this kid such a harsh grade, but Gabe Brown didn’t do much in his limited time on the floor. He didn’t attempt a single shot and had a rebound in four minutes. He’s getting a C+ instead of a C which is normally given to guys who don’t really have a major effect on the game because he played solid defense when he was in there.

Foster Loyer’s freshman season hasn’t quite gone as planned, but he hasn’t proven himself in the short time that he’s on the floor. He played four minutes, had two rebounds and two assists with a turnover and a foul. He looked shaky again, but made a couple of nice passes to open guys for buckets and was in the right place for a couple of boards.

We will hope to see Loyer’s role increase so he can give Cassius Winston a break as the season wears on and rest is crucial for an over-used point guard.