Michigan State basketball took an early lead against UCLA on Tuesday night in East Lansing and never looked back. The Spartans went on an 18-0 run in the first half that really ended UCLA’s upset hopes before they even formed.
It was nice to see a stress-free win for the first time in weeks.
Here’s what I liked from Michigan State’s 23-point drubbing of UCLA.
1. A hot start
Far too often over the past few weeks, Michigan State has gotten off to slow starts. The Spartans have found themselves down by anywhere from 5-10 points in most first halves over the past month, but after falling behind 4-0 early, they turned it around against UCLA quickly.
Michigan State took a 15-12 lead and then never looked back, going on an 18-0 run after that, leading 33-12 and really just maintaining that throughout.
The Spartans don’t need to get off to a “hot” start every single game, but showing up prepared and at least hanging with the opponent before pulling away eliminates the need for a furious comeback — that had been the case way too much lately.
2. A well-rounded Coen Carr
When you think of Coen Carr, electrifying dunks are probably the first thing that come to mind, right? Well, he’s not just a dunker anymore. Sure, his dunks are what make highlight reels, but he’s become such a well-rounded player even though there’s a faction of the fanbase that criticizes him for not being a knock-down shooter.
The doubters were quiet during the UCLA win.
Carr did everything well on Tuesday night, hitting a couple of threes, driving to the basket for a contested layup in traffic, hitting mid-range jumpers, throwing down a couple of dunks, and igniting the crowd with some thunderous blocks on the defensive end.
Seeing Carr play well in every facet of the game was refreshing.
3. Jeremy Fears’ 3-point confidence
There hasn’t been much to dislike about Jeremy Fears’ game this season. He’s playing like an All-American, averaging over 15 points and almost 10 assists per game. He’s been one of the best point guards in the country, and there’s really only been one thing missing that could make him even harder to guard: 3-point shooting.
Fears has mastered the art of getting to the line, he’s found a consistent mid-range jumper, and he drives the lane with the best of ‘em. Now, he’s apparently finding his confidence from deep.
The sophomore point guard took a whopping eight 3-point attempts on Tuesday and made four of them. Not only did he have the confidence to shoot eight, but he made 50 percent of them which is a good sign moving forward. If teams have to respect his long-range shot, they’re going to play out on him and then he can just blow by.
If Fears can hit the three consistently, Michigan State is going to be a tough out in March.