Michigan State basketball: 3 takeaways from huge win over No. 23 Rutgers

In order to avoid the dreaded, yet seemingly annual, three-game losing streak, Michigan State basketball needed to pick up a win over No. 23 Rutgers, the second-best team in the Big Ten standings as of Thursday night.

Tom Izzo and Co. did just that, falling behind by nine early before storming back, taking a six-point halftime lead, and winning by 13. It was a huge Quad 1 win for the Spartans.

With the win, Michigan State improves to 13-6 overall and 5-3 in the league and it sets itself up nicely for a weekend showdown with Indiana on the road.

Let’s dive into some takeaways from the massive win.

3. Jaxon Kohler has the tools to be very good

It’s been a rough freshman year for Jaxon Kohler, but you would never know it if you only watched his performance against Rutgers on Thursday and nothing else.

Kohler finished with a team-high 11 rebounds which was a sight for sore eyes since the Spartans couldn’t seem to do anything right on the glass. But he was also a really good offensive threat in the post with his spin move that frees him up and makes him nearly unguardable. He finished 6-for-9 from the floor and had 12 points off the bench.

The tools are there for Kohler to be a special big for the Spartans and if he can do what he did against Rutgers consistently, Michigan State will be in very good shape moving forward.