Michigan State basketball picked up a massive win over No. 5 Illinois on Saturday evening to improve to 20-4 overall and 10-3 in Big Ten play.
The win was much-needed after a two-game skid against Michigan and Minnesota. The Spartans are still considered an NCAA Tournament lock, and would’ve been even with a loss to Illinois, but losing to the Illini could’ve furthered the skid to three or even four games with a road battle against Wisconsin approaching. It was good to see one go in.
Michigan State played a pretty darn good game against the Illini.
Better late than never, here are the Spartans’ final grades from their big win over Illinois.
Jeremy Fears — A+
I said that I wasn’t going to just hand out A+ grades for every great Jeremy Fears game, but how could he not get one after going for 26 and 15 against the No. 5 team in the country? He was incredible all night, and he willed the Spartans to a clutch win. His elite ability to get to the rim has made it almost impossible for defenses to stay on their man because they’re trying to help switch after Fears beats his defender. That was a big reason Kur Teng was so open on the go-ahead three with 8.5 seconds left.
Coen Carr — B
Coen Carr had some questionable shot selection late in the game, but he was able to finish with eight points, eight rebounds, and a block. He also had the most impressive alley-oop that we’ll probably see all season. I’d like to see Carr find that confidence in his shot again.
Carson Cooper — B+
Carson Cooper had himself a nice bounce-back performance against Illinois after a rough couple of games against Minnesota and Michigan. He finished with nine points and eight boards, and his defense was clutch down the stretch.
Jaxon Kohler — A-
It wasn’t Jaxon Kohler’s best shooting performance (4-for-12), but he hit three big threes and grabbed the offensive rebound and made the heads-up pass to Kur Teng for the go-ahead 3-pointer with 8.5 seconds left. Kohler was a beast on the glass, too, grabbing 16 rebounds to go along with his 11 points.
Jordan Scott — A
Jordan Scott has been an incredible addition to the starting lineup, and Tom Izzo even brought up the Max Christie comparisons again after the win. He finished with 10 points, four rebounds, a block, and a steal while shutting down arguably the best offensive player in the Big Ten right now: Keaton Wagler. What a game for the freshman.
Cam Ward — A-
A thunderous dunk over a 7-footer in the first half really set the tone for Cam Ward’s game. He had eight points and seven rebounds in 18 minutes in what can only be considered his best performance in weeks. Both freshmen were great.
Kur Teng — B+
Kur Teng had the shot of the night and he was very close to earning an A-, but his defense left a little to be desired. He needs to improve on that end of the floor because his shooting touch is a breath of fresh air.
Trey Fort — B-
I was hoping to see more Trey Fort minutes after the Divine Ugochukwu injury, but the shooting guard only saw seven minutes and scored three points. Fort’s defense seems to be holding him back because he’s providing a spark offensively.
Jesse McCulloch/Denham Wojcik — Inc.
Again, not enough playing time for either guy to really earn a grade. Both guys finished with fewer than five minutes and neither scored.