Michigan State Basketball: Final report card for 2019 Maui Invitational

Starters

It was a mixed week in terms of play from the starters as Xavier Tillman struggled a bit, Cassius Winston had a mostly good three-day span and Aaron Henry showed flashes of pro potential.

Cassius Winston: A-

You would think a player going through a rough time like Cassius Winston would have a bad week, but he struggled against Virginia Tech and then finished with two of his best games of the season. He scored 48 points in the final two games and had 12 assists with four turnovers. His shooting got a lot better and he started taking the ball to the hoop more. He put the team on his back when the Spartans needed him and that led to clutch wins over Georgia and UCLA. Cassius was the old Cassius we grew to know in the final two games.

Rocket Watts: B-

Shooting woes continued for Rocket Watts, but when his shot starts to fall, he’s going to be a major problem for defenses. He has plenty of confidence and can run the point without turning the ball over too much and finished the tourney by scoring a career-high 12 points on 50 percent shooting. His defense has been solid and he looks comfortable, but the shots need to fall more consistently.

Aaron Henry: B+

Anyone else impressed with what Aaron Henry brings to the table? The sophomore guard just looks like a pro and had himself a nice week with 13 points per game while playing some solid defense even though Anthony Edwards completely went off. He shot 4-of-9 from the floor and looked like a much improved shooter and shows confidence to drive to the lane and either score at the basket or with little turnaround hooks and jumpers.

Marcus Bingham Jr.: C

Marcus Bingham Jr. got the start in the tournament over Thomas Kithier and he showed some promise but only played three minutes against Virginia Tech and seven versus UCLA. He played 18 in the win over Georgia and showed some shot-blocking capabilities, but his offensive game is a major work in progress. When he gains more weight, that shouldn’t be an issue.

Xavier Tillman: C+

It was a rough week for Tillman. If you looked strictly at numbers, you would have thought he had a decent three-game span, but he struggled with turnovers and was out-muscled in the post constantly. He did average just over 12 points per game with a little over 10 rebounds, but his shooting wasn’t great and he just looked out of sorts on Monday and Tuesday. He needs to step his game up like he did against UCLA if Michigan State wants a shot to make a run.