Michigan State Basketball: Marcus Bingham Jr. is key to 2021-22 success

Leading up to the 2020-21 season, it seemed pretty clear who Michigan State basketball needed to step up: Aaron Henry, Josh Langford, Joey Hauser, and Rocket Watts.

Those guys were considered a potential ‘Big 4’ if all played out as everyone had hoped, but Henry was really the only one of that group who really lived up to the hype. He played like an All-Big Ten wing and earned the right to declare early for the NBA draft while Langford showed flashes of his old self but didn’t quite have that same explosion. Rocket couldn’t get off the ground in a sophomore slump and Hauser lacked confidence.

Overall, the team struggled and it was because the veterans weren’t living up to expectations and guys like Thomas Kithier, Watts, and Foster Loyer didn’t take that next step.

With a new-look roster for the 2021-22 season, Michigan State will need some other key players to step up.

Guys like Gabe Brown, Tyson Walker, Malik Hall, and Hauser will be expected to help right the ship as veteran leaders but there’s one player in particular who may be the key to the team’s success and potential Big Ten title push: Marcus Bingham Jr.

Bingham Jr. is key to Michigan State basketball’s bounce-back

The senior big man came to Michigan State with a wealth of potential and even ESPN saw him as a player who could be a one-and-done, built in the same type of mold as a Jaren Jackson Jr. or Adreian Payne.

Unfortunately, he just couldn’t put on the weight and struggled with conditioning, averaging just 3.5 minutes in his first year while Tom Izzo contemplated a redshirt.

As a sophomore, he averaged 11.1 minutes per game and averaged 3.5 points and 3.6 rebounds. He got 11.5 minutes as a junior and scored 3.5 points again with 3.2 rebounds and 1.4 blocks for the second straight season. But it’s not necessarily the production that stands out with him, it’s the potential to be a dominant post defender.

Bingham Jr. showcased his potential as a rim protector against Trevion Williams of Purdue (at least when given the opportunity in the first half of the home contest), Trayce Jackson-Davis, Kofi Cockburn, and Luka Garza. His plus-minus numbers all season were fantastic but he barely saw the floor when it seemed like he should have.

In games when he saw at least 15 minutes of action, the Spartans were 6-2 and the defense was great in the post. He brought that spark to the lineup.

In games when he played at least 10 minutes, Michigan State was 13-7. Not great, but considering the Spartans finished just a couple games above .500 for the season, that would have been a nice pace to keep in the win column. When he played less than 10 minutes, Michigan State was a paulty 2-6.

And when he played 20-plus minutes, Michigan State was 1-1 but it should have been 2-0 if not for an unfathomable collapse against UCLA in the First Four.

Simply put, when Bingham Jr. plays more, Michigan State has a better chance of winning. He looked poised to take that next step when he was given the minutes and with a strong offseason, he could be a monster in the post for the Spartans in 2021-22.

If Michigan State wants to win the Big Ten title again, he needs to average 20-plus minutes per game.