Michigan State Basketball: 3 takeaways from much-needed win over Nebraska

Jan 2, 2021; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Michigan State Spartans forward Aaron Henry (0) looks to pass against Nebraska Cornhuskers forward Yvan Ouedraogo (24) and guard Dalano Banton (45) in the first half at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 2, 2021; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Michigan State Spartans forward Aaron Henry (0) looks to pass against Nebraska Cornhuskers forward Yvan Ouedraogo (24) and guard Dalano Banton (45) in the first half at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jan 2, 2021; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Michigan State Spartans forward Aaron Henry (0) attempts a shot against Nebraska Cornhuskers guard Shamiel Stevenson (4) in the first half at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 2, 2021; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Michigan State Spartans forward Aaron Henry (0) attempts a shot against Nebraska Cornhuskers guard Shamiel Stevenson (4) in the first half at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports /

2. We finally saw how good a confident Aaron Henry can be

We haven’t seen a confident Aaron Henry all season long, but that changed on Saturday night as he was aggressive from start to finish. It was obvious early on that he was on his game.

Henry wasn’t passive like he usually is. He took control of the offense and became that “alpha dog” that Tom Izzo said the team was lacking. If this game sparks a turnaround to Michigan State’s season, it all starts with Henry and he gained a ton of confidence from this one.

Coming into this game, Henry was struggling. He was shooting the worst that he ever had in his career and he was a couple games off a benching to start the Wisconsin game. He has responded well with his career game against Nebraska but this needs to extend into the coming games because the Spartans need more than just a flash in the pan.

When he’s confident, Henry can be one of the best players in the Big Ten and we saw that on Saturday night with his 27-point effort on 10-for-16 shooting and 3-for-5 from deep.

And his defense was solid.

Let’s hope this sparks that turnaround for not only MSU’s season but also Henry’s junior year.