1. That’s an important win over Michigan, even if not a great performance by MSU
Not a classic, but a legacy game for Michigan State’s basketball team of sorts, its seniors especially. A game that, had it been lost, they’d be remembered for never having won in Ann Arbor. And the vibes … well, they don’t have to think about now.
MSU beat Michigan, 73-63, on Saturday night at Crisler Center because the Spartans were the more poised team in the end, the team with more defensive purpose, the backcourt with better hands, helping to 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 who’s trying to leave 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 we realized we needed to pull way,” Hall said afterward.
They won because Carson Cooper and Jaxon Kohler combined for 14 rebounds. And because Hall came up with a big one on a missed free throw.
And they won with the help of the crowd, which sounded like it was about 50% Michigan State fans. It didn’t sound like a road game.
“Not really to be honest,” Hall said. “They might not like that. But the whole game I heard ‘Go Green, Go White.’ I heard them try to throw the ‘Go Blues’ in there. But it wasn’t the same. We all know that.”
They won because survived an 0-for-8 start from beyond the arc and early foul trouble. And they survived some missed opportunities.
It’s a sweep of Michigan, the first win at Crisler Center for any player on MSU’s roster. All of that is meaningful. But expected. With that business done, the Spartans’ season can move on with decent vibes and bigger opportunities. This had to happen first.
2. MSU should have put this game away earlier
You never apologize for a road win against your rival. But if the Spartans get a chance to put teams away in the first half or at least seize control — like it looked like they might at Michigan on Saturday night — they’d be wise to do so.
There were several moments in this game when MSU didn’t capitalize, when a stop, a made 3 or a dunk might have turned this into a more comfortable evening.
Not to pick on Carson Cooper, who I thought played well in the second half and scored both of his buckets with the sort of explosiveness MSU needs from him. But his lack of explosiveness on a dunk attempt when MSU led 31-24 allowed for a block from behind and changed the game. It crippled the Spartans’ momentum, helped give it to the Wolverines and, soon after, it was basically an even game.
Some coaches will tell you that every two points are the same and each possession is as important as every other. Hogwash.
If Cooper dunks that ball, if he explodes to the rim there — like he did on an alley-oop and a put-back dunk in the second half — he scores and MSU stays in control. That’s not always his strength, getting to the rim from two feet vertically. That’s got to be a big part of his offseason. Before he can worry about being Nick Ward in the post, he’s got to be as sturdy and as quick to finish at the rim as Matt Costello.
MSU had a number of other missed opportunities, including a couple poorly timed missed 3s. Those will happen. But on the defensive end, letting Dug McDaniel get free for open looks and helping defensively where it wasn’t needed while leaving a shooter open — those were mental mistakes that hurt. The Spartans’ coverages cost them for a while. Didn’t cost them the game. But if the opponent had a bit more grit to them, it might have.
3. Freshman thoughts – the 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 ends and looked comfortable doing it, even in half-court situations where he’s sometimes gotten stagnant offensively or lost on defense. The version of Carr we saw Saturday night is an impact role player, a difference-maker. If he channels that, plays with that intent to rebound, get in passing lanes and move to the basket, he makes MSU a better team.
And yet he didn’t play in the second half. Tom Izzo explained afterward that he needed Jaden Akins guarding Dug McDaniel in the second half and so he played Akins extended minutes instead of going to Carr. I think it would have been worth giving Carr another stretch anyway. He was that good 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 just fine for me. I know it was only three minutes. But they are 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 opening stanza and held a slim lead at the break. Part of it was that he got out on the break and ran and finished (or drew a flagrant foul). He’s always done that well, though he seemed to be quicker down the floor on the break Saturday than in other recent games.
What was different is that his steals came by getting in passing lanes, reading the play and being in the right place. And, offensively, he kept cutting to the basket and being ready to catch, including one old-fashioned 3-point play on a feed from Holloman. Even when he didn’t finish, he drove with intent. You’ll live with that. And of course there’s the backdoor alley-oop dunk from Tyson Walker. He said afterward that he’s focusing on what he’s capable of doing and they wanted him to do — “attack, drive, offensive rebounds and play defense.”
Carr used his athleticism Saturday. MSU needs more of it. More of him when he plays like this.
This was the third straight game that Booker has played in that I thought he played well and seemed comfortable out there. He’s no longer giving up buckets with the foul. His fouls at the rim defensively are more disruptive. On the glass, he’s more active, either going to get the ball or chase it down, as he did with his second rebound Saturday, giving the Spartans a second chance on a possession. Offensively, he looks like he belongs a little more. And has for a few games.
The most interesting part of Booker’s lone stint Saturday — from with 8:08 left in the first half to the 5:15 mark — was that it all came alongside Jaxon Kohler. And those two looked good as a pairing. If you’re going to play two bigs, it helps if they’re 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 beginning of a 9-1 stretch 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.
First appeared on www.lansingstatejournal.com