Michigan State Basketball: 5 takeaways from nail-biting win over Bradley

DES MOINES, IOWA - MARCH 21: Aaron Henry #11, Matt McQuaid #20, Cassius Winston #5, Xavier Tillman #23, and Kenny Goins #25 of the Michigan State Spartans stand on the court during their game in the First Round of the NCAA Basketball Tournament against the Bradley Braves at Wells Fargo Arena on March 21, 2019 in Des Moines, Iowa. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /

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DES MOINES, IOWA – MARCH 21: Elijah Childs #10 of the Bradley Braves defends a shot by Nick Ward #44 of the Michigan State Spartans during their game in the First Round of the NCAA Basketball Tournament at Wells Fargo Arena on March 21, 2019 in Des Moines, Iowa. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

4. Nick Ward was effective in limited minutes

Say what you want about Nick Ward and his defense, but on the offensive end of the floor, the guy can absolutely bring it. His defense hasn’t been so bad lately, either, he’s just not as good of a matchup against smaller, quicker guys as Xavier Tillman is.

For that reason, he played just 10 minutes against the Braves, but was more than effective.

In just 10 minutes of action, Ward accounted for eight points and five rebounds. If he played his normal 25-30 minutes before the injury, he would have been closer to 15-20 points and 10-plus rebounds. It’s that type of production that has made him so feared in the post and exactly why the Spartans will need plenty of him against Minnesota.

If you think Ward is being contained because he’s regressing, that’s not at all the case. These past couple of matchups have been unfavorable and Tom Izzo has done his best coaching job by utilizing Tillman.

We will see plenty of Ward against Minnesota and beyond, if the Spartans can get the win on Saturday.

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