Xavier Booker’s return to the Breslin Center wasn’t as kind as he would’ve hoped as he watched his former Michigan State basketball teammates catch fire and run away with an 82-59 win.
The Spartans hit a season-high 14 threes to improve to 21-5 and 11-4 in Big Ten play. While winning a second straight Big Ten title is now looking unlikely with Michigan winning at Purdue, all the Spartans can worry about is taking care of business and getting better in the process.
A lot of Spartans played well on Tuesday night, and the final report card reflects that.
Jeremy Fears: A
Once again, Jeremy Fears was really good. He played the most minutes on the team (33) and hit the most 3-pointers as well (4). He was red-hot from the get-go, finishing with 16 points and 10 assists and his 3-point shooting really stole the show. It was also good to see him stifling UCLA on defense. The All-American point guard played like an All-American point guard.
Coen Carr: A
This was one of the best games that I’ve seen from Coen Carr as a Spartans because he was doing everything — and doing it well. He tied a team-high with 16 points and he did so on 7-for-11 shooting. Not only did he have a couple of nice dunks, but he was hitting threes, mid-range jumpers, and driving the lane to finish with nice touch at the rim. He also added three rebounds and two massive blocks.
Jaxon Kohler: A-
We got the November/December version of Jaxon Kohler back. The senior big man had just nine points on 4-of-9 shooting, but you can’t blame him when he’s getting doubled every time he touches the ball. He grabbed 10 rebounds and played one of his better overall games in a month. It’s nice to see Kohler looking like Kohler again.
Carson Cooper: A-
The only thing keeping Carson Cooper from an A was the fact that he had four turnovers. Any time he touched the ball in the post, he was pressured. Instead of passing right back out, he tried to be a hero too much and coughed the ball up. Outside of the turnovers, he was great. He had 12 points, seven turnovers n and two blocks, and he was 8-for-9 from the line.
Jordan Scott: A-
This is the first time that I can remember giving every single starter at least an A-, but that’s how good the starting five was on Tuesday. The scoring was balanced and everyone did their job, including freshman Jordan Scott. The new starter finished with 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting and he grabbed three rebounds. He continues to look comfortable out there, and if he’s hot from deep, no one is stopping this team.
Kur Teng: B+
Another solid game from Kur Teng. He didn’t stand out too much, but he did hit three big 3-pointers and finished with nine points, three assists, and two rebounds. You have to love seeing Teng get shots up, especially when he’s hitting 3-of-5 from deep.
Cam Ward: C+
It was kind of a whirlwind of a game for Cam Ward; he kind of saw it all. Ward scored four points and had a rebound, an assist, and a block, but he turned the ball over three times and fouled out. That’s a lot going on in just 18 minutes of play. He didn’t play poorly, but it wasn’t his best game.
Trey Fort: B
Am I being paid to write nice things about Trey Fort? No, but it probably feels like it on your end. I just think the senior Samford transfer has what Michigan State needs, and he just needs more of an opportunity to showcase it. He did play well in his 11 minutes with three points and four rebounds, but that defense has to get better. There were times were he got lost in switches that would’ve cost Michigan State several points against better teams.
Jesse McCulloch: B-
Nothing really stood out for Jesse McCulloch in his nine minutes of action. I hope he has a bigger role next season because I like his skillset, but he hasn’t been showing much of that lately. He had just two points and two rebounds in those nine minutes.
The walk-ons and Denham Wojcik: Incomplete
I can’t grade two minutes of action — but it was fun to see the walk-ons. Let’s hope Denham Wojcik’s shoulder injury isn’t serious.