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1. That’s a big win over Michigan, even if it’s not a great performance by MSU.
It’s not a classic, but rather a legacy game for the Michigan State basketball team, especially the seniors. A game that, if they had lost, they would be remembered for never having won in Ann Arbor. And the vibrations… well, you don’t have to think about them now.
MSU beat Michigan, 73-63, Saturday night at the Crisler Center because the Spartans were the more prepared team at the end, the team with more defensive purpose, the better-handed zone defense, which helped force 22 Wolverine turnovers, 15 of them steals. – which led to 27 MSU points.
They won because Tyson Walker took control for a minute when things got shaky in the second half and because Malik Hall continues to play and shoot like a senior trying to make his mark. He had 18 points, Walker 19. That was enough.
They won because they held Michigan scoreless for the final seven minutes.
“It was just a moment where we realized we needed to step away,” Hall said afterward.
They won because Carson Cooper and Jaxon Kohler combined for 14 rebounds. And because Hall made a big mistake on a missed free throw.
And they won with the help of the crowd, which seemed to be about 50% Michigan State fans. It didn’t seem like an away game.
“To be honest, not really,” Hall said. “They might not like that. But the whole game I heard ‘Go Green, Go White.’ “I heard them try to put the ‘Go Blues’ in there. But it wasn’t the same. We all know”.
They won because they survived an 0-for-8 start from beyond the arc and early foul trouble. And they survived some missed opportunities.
It’s a sweep over Michigan, the first win at the Crisler Center for any player on MSU’s roster. All of that is significant. But expected. With that deal done, the Spartans’ season can move forward with decent vibes and greater opportunities. This had to happen first.
2. MSU should have left this game sooner
You never apologize for an away victory against your rival. But if the Spartans have a chance to blow out teams in the first half or at least take control (as it looked like they would at Michigan on Saturday night), they would do well to do so.
There were several moments in this game where MSU didn’t take advantage, when a stop, a three-pointer or a dunk could have made the evening more comfortable.
I don’t want to pick on Carson Cooper, who I thought played well in the second half and scored both of his baskets with the type of explosiveness MSU needs from him. But his lack of explosiveness on a dunk attempt when MSU led 31-24 allowed a block from behind and changed the game. This stalled the Spartans’ momentum, helped give it to the Wolverines, and soon after, it was basically a close game.
Some coaches will tell you that every two points are equal and that each possession is as important as any other. Swill.
If Cooper makes that ball, if he explodes toward the rim there, like he did on an alley-oop and a dunk in the second half, he scores and MSU maintains control. That’s not always his strong point: getting to the rim from two feet vertically. That must be a big part of his offseason. Before he can worry about being Nick Ward in the post, he has to be as strong and as quick at the rim as Matt Costello.
MSU had other missed opportunities, including a pair of mistimed missed 3-pointers. That will happen. But on the defensive end, leaving Dug McDaniel free for open looks and helping the defense where it wasn’t needed while leaving a shooter open, those were mental mistakes that hurt. Coverage cost the Spartans for a while. It didn’t cost them the game. But if the opponent had a little more courage, he could have done it.
3. Freshman Thoughts: Michigan Edition, Part II
It’s been a while since Coen Carr made an impact like that. That was easily his best game in Big Ten play, because he played with purpose on both sides and seemed comfortable doing so, even in half-court situations where he sometimes stalled offensively or lost on defense. The version of Carr we saw Saturday night is an impact player, a difference-maker. If he channels that, he plays with that intent to rebound, get into passing lanes and move to the basket, he will make MSU a better team.
And yet he didn’t play in the second half. Tom Izzo explained later that he needed Jaden Akins guarding Dug McDaniel in the second half and that’s why he played Akins for extended minutes instead of going to Carr. I think it would have been worth giving Carr another stretch anyway. That’s how good he was in the first half. Izzo said he considered it.
“Coen Carr brought a lot of value,” Izzo said. “…He’s going to play more. So is (Xavier) Booker. I mean, Booker did really well for me. I know it was only three minutes. But they’re making progress.”
More on Booker in a second.
Carr’s eight points and two steals in eight minutes in the first half were a big reason MSU took control for a while in the first quarter and held a slight lead at halftime. Part of that was him coming out on the break, running and finishing (or committing a flagrant foul). He has always done well, although he seemed to be quicker on the court at halftime Saturday than in other recent games.
What was different is that his steals came from getting in the passing lanes, reading the play and being in the right spot. And offensively, he continued to cut to the basket and be ready to make the catch, including an old-fashioned three-point play on a pass from Holloman. Even when he didn’t finish, he drove with intent. You will live with it. And, of course, there’s Tyson Walker’s alley-oop dunk. He said afterward that he’s focusing on what he’s capable of doing and they wanted him to do it: “attack, drive, offensive rebounds and play defense.”
Carr used his athleticism on Saturday. MSU needs more. More of him when he plays like that.
This was the third game in a row that Booker played and I thought he played well and looked comfortable out there. He no longer gives up buckets with the foul. His mistakes at the rim defensively are more disruptive. On the glass, he is more active, either taking the ball or chasing it, as he did on his second rebound on Saturday, giving the Spartans a second chance at possession. Offensively, he looks like he belongs a little more. And he has done it for a few games.
The most interesting part of Booker’s lone stint on Saturday (from 8:08 left in the first half to the 5:15 mark) was that it all came with Jaxon Kohler. And those two looked good as a couple. If you are going to play against two bigs, it will help if they are both skilled offensive players. Those two are. Something to consider going forward this season and beyond. On Saturday, MSU outscored Michigan 4-1 in those three minutes, the start of a 9-1 run that gave the Spartans a 31-22 lead that should have been more decisive than it was.
Contact Graham Couch at gcouch@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @Graham_Couch.
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