Toughness was on the menu for Michigan State on Thursday night as it marched into Mackey Arena and stole a win from No. 8 Purdue.
The win marked Michigan State’s fifth against a ranked team this season.
Everything seemed to go right for Michigan State at Mackey in the second half for the first time in what felt like an eternity. Although Purdue was hitting 50 percent of its threes, Michigan State stepped on the Boilermakers’ throats in the final minutes to secure a huge road win.
What does the final report card look like?
Jeremy Fears Jr.: A-
This wasn’t one of Jeremy Fears’ best games as a Spartan, but he still finished with 12 points and six assists. He hit a big and-one on a 3-pointer in the first half that halted Purdue’s momentum and he was just in command all night long. Fears did miss a couple of easy shots, but he scored some clutch buckets down the stretch to put the game away. Fears is an All-American.
Jordan Scott: B
Yes, Jordan Scott played the second-most minutes of any Spartan on Thursday which just goes to show how much Tom Izzo trusts the freshman. He didn’t have a great game, but he definitely redeemed himself after a rough start. Scott had nine points on 2-of-5 shooting but he did hit four big free throws and a huge three. I will say, Scott’s clutch gene is showing more and more.
Coen Carr: A-
I thought Coen Carr was really good against Purdue. He did enough on the defensive end to make the Boilermakers uncomfortable, and he had some of the biggest dunks that I’ve ever seen from him, silencing the usually-rowdy Mackey Arena. Carr had 11 points and five rebounds and earned an “I’ve never seen anyone like him” comment from Matt Painter afterwards.
Carson Cooper: A
I don’t think anyone on this team has improved quite as much as Carson Cooper. His growth from his freshman year until now has been insane and he continues to get better each time out. Cooper had 15 points and six rebounds and was just too much for Purdue all night long. This follows back-to-back great games, so he’s on fire right now.
Jaxon Kohler: B-
Really just not his game. Jaxon Kohler did hit a big three at the end of the shot clock in the first half and he managed to score eight points, but it took him 10 shots to get there. He also only grabbed three rebounds which was unlike him, but his three assists were huge. Everyone is kind of hoping he gets back on track soon.
Cam Ward: A
This was the game that fans had been begging Cam Ward for after that breakout against Arkansas in the second game of the season. Ward had been relatively quiet since, but he had arguably his best game since Arkansas, scoring eight points on 4-of-4 shooting and he had four rebounds and two steals. Ward was a monster on both ends, and luckily that missed free throw with eight seconds left didn’t burn the Spartans.
Kur Teng: A
I thought both bench players were really good against Purdue. Ward scored eight with four rebounds and Kur Teng finished with 13 points, three rebounds, an assist, and a steal which led to that huge Carr windmill. Teng is starting to gain confidence which is bad news for the rest of the projected NCAA Tournament field.
I’m not grading Denham Wojcik’s four minutes because I don’t think the grade would be fair.