Michigan State Basketball: Predicting stat leaders for 2020-21 season

Minutes: Rocket Watts

If there was ever a “lock” on stat projections, this might be it. Rocket Watts is taking over for a point guard who averaged nearly 33 minutes per game with little help behind him and he’s facing the same exact situation.

Watts was fourth on the team in minutes as a true freshman, trailing Cassius Winston, Xavier Tillman and Aaron Henry. While the latter is back for the 2020-21 season, Watts is going to have a heck of a load on his shoulders and that will include leading the way at the point for most of the game.

Is Tom Izzo ready to trust Foster Loyer or AJ Hoggard? It’s tough to say, but I’m going to say he’ll be hesitant given Loyer’s liability on the defensive end and Hoggard is just a freshman.

Look for Watts to not only play a bulk of the minutes at point, but when Loyer or Hoggard come in or Josh Langford or Henry run the one, he could move over to the two-guard position and benefit from moving off the ball and having others create for him.

I see 32 minutes per game in Watts’ future, leading the team and jumping about 10 minutes per game from his freshman season.