Michigan State Basketball: 3 takeaways from sloppy win over Detroit Mercy

EAST LANSING, MICHIGAN - DECEMBER 04: Rocket Watts #2 of the Michigan State Spartans celebrates a first half play with Julius Marble II #34 while playing the Detroit Titans at Breslin Center on December 04, 2020 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

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EAST LANSING, MICHIGAN – DECEMBER 04: Head coach Tom Izzo talks to Rocket Watts #2 of the Michigan State Spartans in the first half while playing the Detroit Titans at Breslin Center on December 04, 2020 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

2. Rocket Watts is starting to look like “the guy”

With Joshua Langford out with a sore knee for precautionary reasons, Tom Izzo needed someone to step up on offense and be that sort of go-to scorer. Langford hasn’t quite been that all season but he still put the Spartans down one scoring option.

Rocket Watts stepped up and was ‘that guy’ for Michigan State.

For the third straight game since going quiet in the opener against Eastern Michigan, Watts scored in double figures. He led all Spartans on Friday evening with 23 points on 8-of-14 shooting. He was the game’s leading scorer, trailing only Antoine Davis who needed 26 shots to score 24 points.

Michigan State needed someone to step up this season and be the guy with Cassius Winston gone and it’s becoming clearer that it’s going to be Watts. He can score in a variety of ways and he should carry the offense moving forward.

Even when things looked grim on offense, he was a steady force.

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