Sunday’s Michigan State basketball win marked the first time that the Spartans won back-to-back times in the month of February. They’ll now look for their third straight win later this week as they head to Mackey Arena to face the always-solid Purdue Boilermakers.
Ohio State gave Michigan State quite the test and maybe this game acted as a wake-up call. Tom Izzo said that he was going to call a team meeting and Jeremy Fears voiced his frustrations after the win.
There was plenty to dislike from the ugly win, but here’s what I liked the most.
1. Carson Cooper’s offense
I’ll be completely honest when I say this: I never thought Carson Cooper would develop into a solid offensive player. He was always a good defender, but I never expected him to average over 10 points per game as a senior, but that’s exactly where he finds himself.
After a career game against Ohio State, he may be looked to more down the stretch to score with his back to the basket. His touch around the rim is improving.
Cooper scored 20 points with 11 rebounds against Ohio State and his baby-hooks looked unstoppable. Just imagine if those shots were consistent. He’s constantly working on his offensive game, so maybe we can expect more of this type of production moving forward.
2. Glass dominance
Michigan State won the rebounding battle 43-26 which was probably my favorite thing about the Spartans’ win over the Buckeyes. They weren’t hitting shots that they would normally hit, but they gave the offense second chances with a whopping 15 (!!) offensive rebounds compared to just four for Ohio State.
Win battles on the glass by this wide of a margin and there aren’t going to be many teams who can knock the Spartans off down the stretch.
Defend, rebound, run. Michigan State can do all three very well — that’s championship-level stuff.
3. Jordan Scott
I couldn’t pick just one thing that Jordan Scott did well on Sunday afternoon, so he gets this whole No. 3 to himself. I liked everything about what I saw from him against the Buckeyes, and so did everyone else. Tom Izzo has loved the production he’s gotten from his true freshman win, and Scott always seems so unfazed and confident with the ball in his hands.
Need a bucket? No problem, Scott can deliver. Need some stingy defense? He’s there, too. Need someone to chip into the point guard minutes a bit? Scott knows how to handle the ball and he’s actually a really good passer.
I liked to see Scott out there, and I’d like to see more of him throughout the rest of the year.