Sunday’s win over Ohio State proved one thing: Michigan State has some work to do.
Althopugh the Spartans may have beaten a tournament team, they did so while the Buckeyes were down two of their top three players. A win should have been expected.
It was ugly, though. And the final grades reflect that, for the most part.
Note: Players are ordered by minutes played
Jeremy Fears: B
Although Jeremy Fears was solid and finished with 11 points and eight assists, he just looked a little off. He was just 2-for-7 from the floor and had a tough time with Bruce Thornton all game. For many players, this is an A- type game, but for Fears, he would probably be even harsher than a B.
Carson Cooper: A-
Why is Carson Cooper only getting an A- after putting up a career-high 20 points with 11 rebounds? Because like Tom Izzo said, his defense could’ve been better. We’re nitpicking here, but there are two ends of the floor to consider. He still played well enough to cover Jaxon Kohler as he sat on the bench for a majority of the game with foul trouble. Cooper’s offensive game is coming along nicely and that would be nice to see in March.
Coen Carr: B-
When Coen Carr threw down that dunk in the first couple of minutes that ignited the crowd, I thought it was surely going to be one of those games where he goes off. Unfortunately, it was one of the games where he disappears offensively. He still had five points and eight rebounds, but he missed two huge free throws down the stretch that nearly led to a Michigan State choke.
Jordan Scott: A-
I’m running out of good things to say about Jordan Scott. The freshman shooting guard is always in the right place at the right time and he is gaining a ton of confidence offensively. He finished with 12 points, four rebounds, three assists, and a block on 4-of-7 shooting. If he continues to get better each game, he’s going to be a legit go-to scorer in March.
Kur Teng: C
This was not one of Kur Teng’s best games. I think a C may be a little harsh, but he was 2-for-9 from the floor and was taking some really bad shots. He had five points and an offensive rebound off the bench, but he was not on his game against the Buckeyes.
Jaxon Kohler: B+
Wondering why Kohler is so low on this list? Well, it’s because the officials decided to have a quick whistle with him from the opening tip and he only played 17 minutes because he was in foul trouble. Kohler still managed to finish with nine points and 10 rebounds in that limited action which goes to show that he may be back to his old self. He was 4-for-8 from the floor.
Cam Ward: B
Cam Ward had a bad start to the game and bounced back nicely with four points, four rebounds, and a block. He threw down a dunk to give Michigan State some momentum and a 3-point lead early in the second half and he finally didn’t pick up any silly fouls or turn the ball over.
Jesse McCulloch/Trey Fort/Denham Wojcik: Incomplete
Again, not enough playing time to really hand out a true grade. All three guys played five minutes or fewer and didn’t have much of an impact either way.