Michigan State was able to hold off a 3-point surge from Louisville to advance to the Sweet 16 on Saturday afternoon with a 77-69 win.
With the victory, the Spartans will now play the winner of UConn vs. UCLA which will be an interesting battle considering the Huskies had trouble with Furman in the opener.
Without further ado, let’s get into some observations from the win.
1. Trey Fort
There’s really nothing else to say here other than his name. Trey Fort showed up today, and he was one of the most important, if not the most important, observations from Michigan State’s win over Louisville. Seeing him show life for a second straight game which is something we haven’t seen since the first month.
After scoring seven against North Dakota State in the first round, Fort came off the bench again to have a huge 12-point performance. He was on his game, hitting 3-of-5 shots from deep and all of his free throws.
Not only did Fort look more confidence offensively, but he also looked vastly improved on defense. He had five rebounds and a steal. He would be a massive addition to the rotation down the stretch.
2. Coen Carr has evolved
From where Coen Carr was even a few months ago, the junior forward has evolved. He came to Michigan State as an athlete and a dunker, but now he’s an all-around hooper. He can score from deep, mid-range, and obviously at the rim, but he’s also improved as a rebounder and a defender. Carr had two blocks and a steal to go along with 10 rebounds against the Cardinals.
Oh, and he had 21 points on 8-of-13 shooting. I love seeing this type of development, because he’s been knocked for not being well-rounded enough. The haters have been silent after this performance.
3. This team is starting to really shoot the ball well
I was impressed with the defense and Michigan State’s rebounding, but the offense has looked vastly better than it was even in the Big Ten Tournament a week ago.
Michigan State shot 50% from deep against the Bison and then hit 11-for-26 (42%) on Saturday afternoon against a better Louisville team. This type of shooting confidence could carry over into the next two rounds and could lead Michigan State to a Final Four.
We’ve been saying all season that this team is a consistent 3-point shot away from being a legit national title contender. Maybe we’re finally seeing it.