If there was anything positive to take away from Michigan State’s loss to Michigan on Friday night other than the fact that Jeremy Fears is incredible, it would be Jordan Scott’s emergence.
The freshman wing replaced Divine Ugochukwu at the two-guard spot to begin the second half, and ended up playing 26 minutes compared to just 12 minutes each by the other two shooting guard options: Kur Teng and Ugochukwu.
Scott’s presence on the floor made Tom Izzo feel comfortable, and he said as much in his post-game presser about starting the freshman over the Miami transfer in the second half and playing him twice as much. He basically said he’s been noticing trends over the past few weeks, and he feels comfortable with Scott on the floor because he’s just doing the right things.
And Scott’s confidence in his shot is refreshing.
I’ve been firmly on the Scott bandwagon since the beginning of the season because he just does all the right things and he’s incredible coachable and willing to listen to Izzo’s demands.
The freshman wing is going to be critical for the Spartans down the stretch.
Jordan Scott can unlock a new level to the offense
Scott, a 6-foot-7 freshman from Virginia, has been playing some really good basketball lately, averaging 8.3 points and 3.7 rebounds over the past three games and he’s 4-for-11 from deep during that stretch, too. He brings extra energy to the lineup, and that’s what was missing when he wasn’t on the floor against Michigan.
Ugochukwu has his moments when he wants to be aggressive, but Scott can do the same things on the wing, and he’s a really strong rebounder from the two-guard spot. He would be a really nice addition to the starting lineup because that would give the team a really solid two-way player.
The two-guard position has been lacking all season, and Izzo has been very vocal about wanting more from that spot. Scott seems to be delivering, and he’s could get this team to play at a completely different level down the stretch.
The best basketball is in front of Michigan State this season, and I think Scott is going to have a major hand in getting the team back on track.