Anyone who was worried about a Michigan State hangover after beating No. 8 Purdue at Mackey Arena on Thursday night was pleasantly surprised to see that the Spartans showed no signs of excessive celebrating at Indiana, dominating the Hoosiers from start to finish, 77-64.
Michigan State took control from the get-go and didn’t look back. It was one of the more complete games this season, and Tom Izzo had to be thrilled with how his team came out ready to go.
What’d we learn from the Spartans’ 24th win of the year?
1. Kur Teng has arrived
There may not be a hotter player on the roster right now than Kur Teng. The sophomore shooting guard is playing with some incredible confidence, scoring 31 points over the past two games at Purdue and at Indiana. He finished with 18 on Sunday afternoon, hitting a shopping six on eight attempts against the Hoosiers.
It may have taken a little longer this year than expected, but Teng is playing with confidence and he’s starting to really look like that sharpshooter off the bench that MSU needs.
If the Spartans get this Teng moving forward, the sky’s the limit.
2. The team’s confidence is showing up at the right time
I’ll be completely honest, I was ready to hit the panic button after Wisconsin dismantled Michigan State in Madison a couple of weeks ago. The team had just lost their third game in four outings and the vibe was just off. It had the feel of last year’s team after the inexplicable home loss to Indiana.
What happened after that? The Spartans exploded, going on a run that not many teams in the Izzo era have been able to accomplish. This year’s team is doing something similar.
After losing to Wisconsin, the confidence was in the gutter. The offense was non-existent, the defense was struggling, and the team’s identity was lost.
Not anymore. After beating UCLA by 23, Ohio State, Purdue, and Indiana, it looks like Michigan State is going to be a tough out in the NCAA Tournament once again. Perfect timing for confidence to return.
3. We got Jaxon Kohler back
We can talk about how Jeremy Fears is elite until we’re blue in the face, but Jaxon Kohler deserves love for what he did against the Hoosiers.
It was clear early on that it was going to be a Kohler-centric game. The Spartans were feeding the big man early and often, and he was taking full advantage. He led all Spartans with 21 points and 13 rebounds, and he looked like the version of himself that we grew to expect in November, December, and early January.
Getting Kohler back on track is so important, and after a 7-for-12 outing (3-for-5 from deep), Michigan State may be in luck. Let’s hope this carries over.