Michigan State basketball: 3 takeaways from horrible loss to Ohio State
2. Xavier Booker needs to play 15-20 minutes per game
Tom Izzo is going to have to explain in the post-game press conference why exactly he reverted back to his old starting lineup in the final minutes after making the decision to start Xavier Booker over Mady Sissoko. It made no sense that Sissoko was playing in the final minutes over Booker.
Throughout the game, when Booker was on the floor, the team had life and plenty of energy. He was a breath of fresh air in the post which was nice after watching guys like Carson Cooper, Jaxon Kohler, and Sissoko struggle through the first few months of the season -- well, Kohler for the past couple of months,
Booker finished with seven points, three rebounds, and three blocks. No other big matched that production even though Mady did finish with six boards.
Sissoko also had two critical mistakes in the final couple of minutes that allowed Ohio State to get back into the game and take the lead.
Booker finished the game with a +11 in the +/- category and that led the team. Yet for some reason when the game was on the line, he wasn't on the floor.