Michigan State Basketball: No need to panic after Nick Ward injury
Michigan State basketball received terrible news on Sunday as Nick Ward’s hairline fracture will keep him out 3-5 weeks. Should the Spartans panic?
Nick Ward was having a heck of a season for Michigan State. The keyword there is was since the junior big man suffered a hairline fracture in his left hand on Sunday which required surgery and could keep him out about a month.
That leaves a huge void in the middle of the offense and takes away from the depth the Spartans have in the post, thrusting sophomore Xavier Tillman into the starting lineup — he’s no stranger to extended minutes in the post as he started against Indiana a couple weeks back.
Does this injury hurt? Absolutely. Will it cost the Spartans a Big Ten title? Possibly. Is it time for Michigan State to panic? Nope.
Call me biased, but I truly believe Tillman and Thomas Kithier will hold their own in the final few weeks of the regular season and there’s a decent chance the Spartans could at least split the season series with Michigan to capture a conference title — or a tie.
Tillman has proven he’s ready for floor time, though he could work on defending without fouling and making contested — and uncontested — shots near the rim. He could also afford to work on his jumper as he’s given plenty of room and has decent form, but they just haven’t been dropping lately.
Kithier, too, has been playing well when given the opportunity this season and he provides a spark off the bench. He hasn’t played in every game and averages a little less than five minutes when he does play, but he can be a solid defensive presence off the bench and he’s no slouch on the offensive end as he runs the floor well.
Honestly, this injury can only help the Spartans’ depth in the long run. Sure, it’d be nice to have Ward over the next 3-4 weeks, but developing Tillman into a future starter and Kithier as well as Marcus Bingham Jr. will help when tourney time rolls around.
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It’s not time to panic yet, folks, especially since Michigan spreads the floor with a relatively small lineup outside of Jon Teske — Tillman will match up there. This team will be just fine.