Michigan State basketball: 3 takeaways from tight win over Villanova

How’s your anxiety treating you after yet another tight Michigan State basketball game?

For a third straight game, Michigan State was taken down the wire. All three of these tight games have taken place over the past seven days starting with a one-point loss to Gonzaga and then followed up by a double-overtime win over Kentucky and a two-point win over Villanova.

Friday’s win over Villanova in East Lansing was much closer than it should have been as the Spartans built a 16-point lead in the second half and the Wildcats chipped away at it.

What’d we learn from this one?

3. Post scoring has become a concern again

After playing a couple of really good games, Mady Sissoko disappeared and Jaxon Kohler was once again quiet off the bench. Sissoko, Kohler, and Carson Cooper combined for 38 minutes and had a total of one point on 0-for-3 shooting. That’s just a horrible look for Michigan State’s post play.

Luckily the 3-point shooting was on point and Michigan State didn’t need to feed the post, but Sissoko needs to be better and Kohler has to be more than just a body off the bench.

I’ll give Sissoko the benefit of the doubt because he just held his own against two All-American bigs in the past week, but he struggled mightily against Eric Dixon on Friday night.

If Michigan State wants to win anything this year, post scoring needs to be better.