Michigan State Basketball: Player grades from Eastern Michigan blowout

Bench

Depth was not an issue on Saturday night and if that type of solid play from guys 6-10 continues on a consistent basis, the Spartans are going to wear teams down.

Foster Loyer: B+

The Foster Loyer haters were quiet on Saturday night as the sophomore guard played well off the ball with Cassius Winston and he finished with 13 points off the bench and showed that shooting stroke everyone has been clamoring for. He was 3-for-5 from the floor and didn’t do much outside of shooting with only one assist, one rebound and one steal in 16 minutes. We need more of this aggressive Loyer.

Kyle Ahrens: B-

Kyle Ahrens continues to have a quiet season and his performance against Eastern Michigan was no different. He played 16 minutes and had just three points and not much else on the stat sheet to show for his time.

Thomas Kithier: B

Is Thomas Kithier the steadiest bench big man in the Big Ten? Maybe, maybe not, but he’s been solid all season long and that continued on Saturday. He played 15 minutes and scored four points with six rebounds but he’s the perfect guy to come off the bench and give the Spartans some good minutes. And he’s a solid finisher around the rim.

Malik Hall: B

Malik Hall had a quiet game in terms of bench guys, playing 10 minutes but scoring just two points on one shot attempt — which was an and-one. He had three rebounds, two assists and a block but he needs to show more aggression when he’s out there. Still, not too shabby for a guy who didn’t play much until the end.

Julius Marble: A-

OK, can we finally see more Julius Marble, please? Tom Izzo, I know you’re not reading this, but if you did, this would be me begging you on behalf of Spartan fans everywhere to play Marble a good 10-15 minutes a game. He looked great off the bench with nine points and five rebounds in nine minutes as he continues to be one of the most productive yet least-used guys on the team.

Conner George: B+

Once again, Conner George came in and provided some solid minutes for the Spartans. He had three points and four rebounds in nine minutes and he’s a great energy guy.

Jack Hoiberg: B-

I’m convinced that Jack Hoiberg is the best walk-on end-of-bench point guard out there. He looks solid with the ball in his hands always and had a nice 3-pointer that was overshadowed by Steven Izzo’s insertion into the game.

Brock Washington: B-

Another guy who didn’t play much but who made a splash was Brock Washington. He played just five minutes and had a rebound and a 3-pointer but he always looks solid off the bench in garbage time.