Every single Michigan State fan’s nerves were probably at an all-time high before the first-round matchup with North Dakota State, especially after seeing High Point upset Wisconsin, but the Spartans ran away with a 92-67 win over the Bison to advance to the second round.
Michigan State’s win improves the Spartans to 5-0 in first-round games since Tom Izzo and the Spartans lost to UCLA in the First Four back in 2021.
The Spartans were never in danger of losing Thursday evening’s game, and that’s exactly what this team needed. What’d we learn from Michigan State’s dominant win over North Dakota State?
1. Trey Fort is showing life
I don’t care, I’m beating this dead horse until the end of Trey Fort’s career in the green and white. The senior transfer from Samford looked really good on Thursday evening, scoring seven points and showing plenty of confidence on the offensive end.
If Fort can figure it out defensively, he’s going to be a problem this March.
Fort finished with just seven points, but he showed life off the bench, making 2-of-5 buckets and his presence was notable enough for to me to say that he might be a legit player in the tourney.
Don’t let Fort get hot.
2. Carson Cooper has become a legit problem
I never thought I’d say it, but Carson Cooper has become a legitimate problem for defenses. The Spartan big man finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds and was 7-for-9 from the floor.
Not only is Cooper dominating on the offensive end, but he’s grabbing a ton of rebounds and isn’t afraid to get physical. He’s become a legitimate key to Michigan State’s Final Four run which is something I never thought I’d be saying three years ago.
Cooper has become a legit threat.
3. The bench chose the perfect time to come alive
Michigan State had an astounding 30 bench points. The Spartans’ bench has been quiet for most of the season, but they shot 12-for-19 from the field with 30 points with six rebounds, and six assists, leading to a blowout win over the No. 14 seed.
If Michigan State wants to make a deep run in the 2026 NCAA Tournament, the Spartans will need the bench to perk up like it did on Thursday evening.
This was a refreshing sight to see after the rotation was slimmed down months ago.