Michigan State Basketball: 5 keys to victory over LSU in Sweet 16

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) /

5 of 5

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – MARCH 16: Cassius Winston #5 of the Michigan State Spartans meets with head coach Tom Izzo in the first half against the Wisconsin Badgers during the semifinals of the Big Ten Basketball Tournament at the United Center on March 16, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /

1. Keep Cassius Winston fresh

No, this doesn’t exactly mean playing Foster Loyer 15-20 minutes, but it does mean getting good 1-2 minute stretches of the backup point guard in every now and then to keep Cassius Winston fresh.

This has been something that Tom Izzo has struggled with all year long and he’s going to have to trust his freshman point guard with more responsibility. Obviously Loyer isn’t going to play 10 minutes, either, but getting Winston breaks and not letting the game slip away when he’s on the bench will put Izzo’s mind at ease.

How else can the Spartans keep Cassius fresh and his energy high? By having other guys step up as scoring threats.

This means that Kenny Goins, Matt McQuaid and even Aaron Henry will have to hunt for their own shots and Nick Ward and Xavier Tillman are going to need to be productive in the post. Take all the offensive stress off Winston’s shoulders with a balanced scoring attack and he’ll remain fresh.

Next. 5 bold predictions for Sweet 16 matchup with LSU. dark

When Michigan State doesn’t need Winston to take over for stretches, the Spartans play their best basketball. They need to make sure they’re not ice-cold when Winston isn’t scoring each time down the floor.

Home/Spartans Basketball