4. Foster Loyer finally had his coming out party
It’s taken five months, but Foster Loyer finally had his coming out party for the Spartans.
All a player needs to see is that first shot drop. Loyer hadn’t seen that happen since Jan. 13 against Penn State as he was 0-for-6 shooting from the floor heading into Friday’s quarterfinal game against Ohio State. That all changed quickly.
As we later found out, Cassius Winston missed practice this week due to a foot injury he suffered against Michigan and that meant Loyer had to be ready to play big minutes — and he did.
Loyer finished with a career-high 14 points to go along with three assists, two steals and a big drawn charge at the end of the first half. He shot 5-of-7 from the field and 4-for-5 from deep range. He looked like a more confidence player, and that’s exactly what Michigan State needs come NCAA Tournament time to give Winston a breather.
If Loyer can make the 3-pointer consistently and make defenses work to guard him, he’s going to create open looks for teammates.
Welcome to the big time, Foster.