Michigan State Basketball: Player grades for blowout win over Western Michigan
Starters
Even without Cassius Winston, the Spartans’ starting five was impressive. Foster Loyer had one of the best games of his career, Aaron Henry remained hot and Xavier Tillman picked up yet another double-double.
Foster Loyer: A-
Yes, you’re reading this correctly. Foster Loyer had his best game of the season, starting slow on the defensive end and then finishing with a 16-point gem of a performance. He got a standing ovation when he left the floor late in the second half and it was because he shot the lights out like he did in high school. Sure, it was just Western, but this could be the confidence-booster he needed. Oh, and he didn’t have a single turnover with six assists.
Aaron Henry: A
Aaron Henry is just getting stronger by the game. He had one of his worst performances of the year against Northwestern but has since followed that up with a couple of gems. He scored 15 with five assists and three rebounds and he shot 6-for-10 from the floor. Henry’s mid-range game is becoming deadly and he looked much cleaner putting the ball on the floor and driving to the basket with confidence.
Gabe Brown: B
Gabe Brown spent his time off in the gym so of course he had a decent game. He’s still barely scratching the surface and more will be expected from him moving forward, but he’s still growing. He had eight points and two rebounds and for some reason, his wide open 3-pointers aren’t falling. I have a feeling we’re going to see a breakout game from him soon.
Marcus Bingham Jr.: B-
Marcus Bingham Jr. played 18 minutes which is high for him, but it goes to show that his conditioning is improving. He didn’t have a major impact, but three points and eight rebounds isn’t too bad from the four spot. He could afford to add more from the post in terms of scoring, but that will come.
Xavier Tillman: A
Probably the quietest performance of the night, Xavier Tillman had himself a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds on 6-of-8 shooting and he blocked three shots. It’s wild how much Tillman gets overlooked when he plays well.