Michigan State Basketball: Marcus Bingham’s Illinois performance a good sign

Marcus Bingham Jr. took a step in the right direction against Illinois and that’s a great sign for Michigan State basketball.

As the 2021-22 Michigan State basketball season began, there were some serious question marks surrounding key players including Gabe Brown and Marcus Bingham Jr.

Would those two veterans be able to handle bigger roles than they’ve ever had?

The answer was a resounding “yes” as the Spartans were finishing up non-conference play in December, but then Bingham missed the High Point game because he tested positive for COVID-19. It didn’t seem like it would be a huge deal because it was just High Point, but the Spartans struggled without him and Max Christie.

When Bingham returned for the Northwestern game on Jan. 2, he was able to play 24 minutes, scoring 13 points with nine rebounds and two blocks in a comeback road win. Everything seemed like it was back to normal as he looked like his normal self.

However, in the four games that followed, he looked gassed. Tom Izzo admitted that he was dealing with conditioning issues after his battle with COVID and it was evident as he hadn’t played more than 20 minutes since that Northwestern win.

In fact, he was averaging just 5.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks in just over 15 minutes per game. Clearly all of those were far below his season averages.

Bingham wasn’t just playing fewer minutes and scoring less, but his defense wasn’t what it had been at the beginning of the year. He was a step slower and wasn’t blocking as many shots, allowing way too many easy buckets around the rim. He just didn’t look like the same player that we saw in November and December.

But just like he did at the beginning of the season after a quiet first three years with occasional flashes, he turned the corner against Illinois in what turned out to be a heartbreaking loss.

Bingham played his most minutes since a Nebraska win on Jan. 5, scoring 13 points with six rebounds and four blocks in 18 minutes. And — get this — his defense was back to its normal, dominant level. He wasn’t letting anyone score around the rim and he was the energy when the rest of the team looked lifeless.

This is the Bingham that Michigan State needs moving forward if the Spartans are going to contend for a Big Ten title.

Playing well against Illinois when essentially everyone else was struggling is a good sign for Michigan State and Izzo has to be thrilled that he’s gotten his defensive stopper back.

Saturday will be a massive test for Bingham as he’ll get Hunter Dickinson and Michigan at the Breslin Center. If he plays like he did against Illinois, Michigan State will be in good shape.