Michigan State Basketball: Player grades for blowout win over Western Michigan

Bench

We saw some solid play from the bench from guys like Kyle Ahrens, Rocket Watts and Malik Hall and this production will be welcomed moving forward. This may have been a momentum builder heading into Big Ten play.

Thomas Kithier: B-

Tom Izzo laid into Thomas Kithier a couple of times but he responded by rebounding well. He struggled a bit defensively, picking up four fouls in 18 minutes and he didn’t score a single point on one shot attempt. He needs to assert himself more in the post because he’s a good finisher.

Kyle Ahrens: B+

I’ve been tough on Kyle Ahrens this season, but I was eating crow on Sunday night as he looked to bring a spark off the bench. He scored 12 points with three rebounds and an assist in 16 minutes and hit three 3-pointers. If he can bring a consistent shooting threat off the bench, that only helps Michigan State’s depth.

Jack Hoiberg: B+

Was anybody else as impressed with Jack Hoiberg as I was? He was solid in his first extended minutes of the season, scoring four points with six assists in 13 minutes. He also played better defensively at the point guard position than Foster Loyer did.

Rocket Watts: A-

For the first time in four games, we saw some Rocket Watts. The freshman guard looked refreshed and even quicker than he was before the injury. He didn’t show much rust and his shooting touch improved, making 4-of-7 shots from the floor. He finished with nine points and showed some impressive vision with five assists and he may have just turned a corner.

Malik Hall: B+

Besides ending the career of one Western Michigan defender, Malik Hall had himself a decent game. The freshman forward had nine points and a rebound in just 10 minutes. He showed off that athleticism we’ve heard about and it’s hard not to get excited about his potential.

Julius Marble: C

The birthday boy had a quiet game which was disappointing coming off his best game as a Spartan. While we could still see him earn extended minutes throughout the Big Ten season, he has some work to do behind the scenes. He played just seven minutes, scoring two points with two rebounds and was beat on the defensive end a couple of times.

Conner George: C+

Conner George also played seven minutes and had a quiet showing with four rebounds and two points. He’s an energy guy so his performance wasn’t disappointing, but it was a small sample size.