Michigan State Basketball: Predicting starting lineup, bench for 2019-20

Michigan State Basketball: Predicting starting five, bench for 2019-20 season

EAST LANSING, MI - DECEMBER 03: Joshua Langford #1, Cassius Winston #5, Kenny Goins #25, Xavier Tilman #23, and Kyle Ahrens #0 of the Michigan State Spartans walk on the the court after a timeout during a game against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Breslin Center on December 3, 2018 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images) /

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EAST LANSING, MI – DECEMBER 03: Joshua Langford #1 of the Michigan State Spartans drives past Joe Wieskamp #10 of the Iowa Hawkeyes in the first half at Breslin Center on December 3, 2018 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images) /

Saying goodbye to Matt McQuaid is tough. The senior shooting guard gave everything he had to the program and he was rewarded with a Final Four in his last season in East Lansing. It was a fitting end to an up and down career and he became a fan favorite and a vocal leader both on and off the court.

Who can replace his offense as well as defensive prowess? Fortunately, Michigan State has Josh Langford back after missing the entire second half of the 2018-19 season with a foot injury.

Langford was third on the team in scoring with over 15 points per game before he went down with an injury and eventually ended the year as the second-leading scorer because of Nick Ward’s points drop-off. He’ll be back in that go-to scorer role as a senior, assuming he’s healthy.

There shouldn’t be an issue with his health when next season tips off and he can score from anywhere on the floor which will be like a plus McQuaid. Langford can drive, shoot, pull up and he even defends as well as McQuaid did.

Oh yeah, and he was a captain as a junior. It looks like the loss of McQuaid won’t be that severe with Langford assuming that role again, and then some.

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