1. That was a throttling as MSU continues to show another gear
EAST LANSING – No one thinks home games are more overrated than I do. But if Michigan State defends, rebounds, gets to the line, makes free throws, pushes the ball and shares it like the Spartans did in Saturday’s 89-52 win over Nebraska, they’ll be bear on any court this Big Ten season.
This was the first time the Spartans have throttled a decent team — and I do think the Huskers are that. MSU’s 25-1 run over more than eight minutes early in the second half took Nebraska’s soul. The Spartans were in control before then, playing pretty well. But that’s a gear that can make this season easier, that can help make sure no one that shouldn’t steals a home game at Breslin Center.
MSU held Nebraska to 33% shooting and 18% from deep, while out-rebounding the Huskers 48-19 and, most impressively, 12-4 on the offensive glass, despite Nebraska being the team that missed all the shots.
MSU made 52% of its tries, 9 of 23 3s and 22 of 23 free throws. They won’t lose a game all year doing that. And, of course, they won’t do that all year. We’ve seen them struggle from long range especially. But MSU also took a ton of good shots Saturday and a lot of free throws — and that they can control.
Jaden Akins (18 points, 4 of 8 from 3) played well and scored again without shot hunting. He’s taking what’s given to him. Jeremy Fears Jr. set the tone early with four quick assists, six by halftime and eight for the game, pushing the ball at every opportunity and delivering one memorable assists from hit butt, an alley-oop to Coen Carr after Fears lost his footing.
Freshman Jase Richardson found his form again, which is important, finishing with an efficient 16 points. He still hasn’t taken more than eight shots in a game this season. The Big Ten games aren’t all going to be as comfortable as the last two. He’s going to be essential on the offensive end.
And Jaxon Kohler … well, more below.
Feel-good home games happen. This was partly that. It was also an incredibly focused and thorough effort. And 10 games in, at 8-2 and 2-0 in the Big Ten, the Spartans look like they’re in a really good place.
2. MSU is scoring points at quite a clip and it makes life easier
The Spartans have now scored 80 or more points in seven of their 10 games. Last season, they’d only reached the 80-point mark three times at this point. And, this season, MSU is averaging 82.3 points per game, nearly a full 10 points more than the Spartans did a year ago. And last season’s 72.9 points per game was the most MSU had scored since averaging 75.9 for the season in 2019-20.
The Spartans won’t keep up this pace, but I’d bet they stay in the upper-70s.
Scoring has been a struggle for this program in recent years. Good offense makes life so much easier and creates a cushion. For all the importance of defense and rebounding and grit and such, MSU’s offense — and scoring — shouldn’t be overlooked.
3. Jaxon Kohler has become a ball hawk and a dang-good rebounder
The single-game rebounding records in college basketball ought to be spit into categories — before people knew how to shoot and the rims had some give, and after.
Because every time an MSU player has a bunch of rebounds early and I look up the records, I’m reminded of that all but one of the top 10 single-game rebounding performances in Spartan history occurred no later than 1961 and the other was Greg Kelser who’s 27 rebounds in 1976 are fifth all-time.
In the Izzo era, the standard at MSU is Antonio Smith and the records are held by Miles Bridges, with 21 against Savannah State in 2017, and Goran Suton with 20 against Oakland in 2007. Suton and Smith hold the record for offensive rebounds in a game at 11 apiece, with Smith’s coming against Purdue in 1997.
Well, at halftime Saturday, Jaxon Kohler had eight rebounds already, five of them offensive, so it was worth keeping an eye on. More significantly, however, is who Kohler has become as rebounder.
For all the attributes he brought when MSU signed him, I wouldn’t have guessed that elite rebounder would be the one that stood out a third of the way though his junior year. But that’s what’s made him often indispensable.
Saturday, he finished with 12, seven on the offensive end in 24 minutes. These weren’t shots that just fell to him. Many of his rebounds came in traffic, surrounded by Nebraska players. He has a nose for the ball and an intent to get it at all cost — four times hitting the floor Saturday to go after it, including an offensive rebound, where, while on the ground, he found Jaden Akins for an open 3 as MSU put the game away early in the second half.
Kohler also had eight points, three assists and two blocks, with at least one of those buckets coming on the offensive glass and another on a fantastic post pass, whipped to the opposite side for a Jase Richardson triple. Defensively Kohler had a couple notable possessions, walling off his man on the baseline and, on two occasions, also coming down with the rebound, once after blocking the shot.
Oddly, Nebraska double-teamed in the post all afternoon, an interesting choice. Based on Kohler’s natural skill set, that makes sense, but he hasn’t been scoring and finishing at a clip you’d think would warrant that.
Right now, he’s making a name for himself as a rebounder (and increasingly as a passer). This was his fourth double-digit rebound game of the season, his second straight, after hauling in 11 at Minnesota midweek. And for the season, he’s averaging 8.3 per game. That’s the most by a Spartan — by a ways — since Xavier Tillman averaged 10.3 rebounds per game five years ago.
It’s early, but that’s not nothing.
Contact Graham Couch at gcouch@lsj.com. Follow him on X at @Graham_Couch
