Michigan State Basketball: Report card for tough loss at Indiana

Starters

The starting five weren’t exactly dominant on Thursday as the Hoosiers were able to shut down one star All-American point guard for a half and make life difficult in the post for the Spartans on both ends of the floor.

Cassius Winston: B+

A terrible first half was followed up with an impressive final 20 minutes. Cassius Winston looked lethargic and just not himself in the first 20 minutes of the game but caught fire in the second half to finish with 17 points on 3-of-6 shooting from 3-point range. He nearly willed Michigan State back into the game but if he played in the first half like he did in the second, this grade would have easily been an A.

Aaron Henry: B

Some big 3-pointers nearly made up for his five turnovers and he had a nice scoop-and-score drive in the second half when the Spartans needed a bucket. Defensively, he played well, but he only grabbed three rebounds and those sloppy turnovers took the wind out of the Spartans’ sails late in the second half — especially one when Michigan State had a three-point lead.

Gabe Brown: B

It would have been nice to see Gabe Brown have a bigger impact on the glass — just ask Tom Izzo — but he finished with 10 points and finished red-hot from the floor. He was 4-for-6 from the floor and drilled a couple of big 3-pointers.

Marcus Bingham Jr.: B-

Defensively, it would have been nice to see Marcus Bingham Jr. hold his own against either Joey Brunk or Trayce Jackson-Davis, but he struggled. On the offensive end, he finished with five points. He added five rebounds and a block, but his post struggles haunted the Spartans.

Xavier Tillman: B

Watching that final put-back attempt rim off was painful as the Spartans looked to be headed to overtime but Xavier Tillman rushed his shot and it just missed. He had a decent game, though, finishing with nine points and 10 rebounds, but his post scoring seems to be an issue still. He doesn’t have much of a back-to-the-basket game and that needs to change. He did step up defensively, blocking three shots.