1. This was a game MSU would have lost last season
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The biggest remaining questions with this Michigan State basketball team entering January were how the Spartans will finish close games, where they’ll go for a bucket, and how they’ll handle the pressure of those moments in a difficult environment.
Answer those questions correctly and this is a team that has the goods to contend in the Big Ten and beyond.
We learned a little more in Friday night’s 69-62 win at Ohio State — a game MSU took control of, then took a punch from the Buckeyes and had to respond down the stretch.
The Spartans will face more difficult environments — there was a noticeable MSU fan contingent and numerous “Go Green, Go White” chants that took over Value City Arena. But this was a Big Ten road game against a possible NCAA tournament team, one with some talented offensive weapons, and a game a lot of teams will lose in conference play.
MSU didn’t. These are the sort of wins that put you in contention. With some illuminating answers.
First, MSU’s closing lineup on this night: Jeremy Fears Jr., Jaden Akins, Tre Holloman, Coen Carr and Jaxon Kohler. That was the lineup that made sense, given how the game unfolded. And I think the lineup that we’ll most often see, perhaps with Jase Richardson and/or Xavier Booker making appearances.
At the end, Akins looked up for the job in ways that he hasn’t always. That was a good sign. His one-handed bank shot with 2:30 remaining — after an Ohio State 3 brought the Buckeyes to within three — was among his biggest shots of the season.
MSU looked calm late with the ball in Akins’ and Fears’ hands, even if they didn’t always take a perfect shot. The ball kept moving. They made their free throws. They kept defending. And thus, they’re 12-2 and 3-0 in the Big Ten.
These are games MSU lost last year.
2. We’re seeing the advantage of skilled bigs with good hands
It’s hard to understate the impact of having most of MSU’s big men minutes go to players who have good hands, a feel for the game and see it well enough in real time to adjust and improvise.
A critical early stretch in Friday night’s game was won by MSU in part because of Szymon Zapala’s ability to create space, catch and finish around the rim and, in one instance, MSU’s ability to play through Jaxon Kohler to Zapala. On that play, Fears called Kohler out like he was asking for a screen, Kohler stopped at the free-throw line, Fears tossed it to him and Kohler turned and passed it over the top to Zapala for a layup. That play couldn’t have happened last season — Kohler had missed too much time early in the year to have that in his arsenal and he wouldn’t have had anyone to throw it to anyway.
Zapala was outstanding most of the night — down to his driving dunk that ignited the MSU bench and put the Spartans up 43-29 early in the second half, his 15th and final point.
Kohler was really good at times, too. His work on the glass early in the second half — with three offensive rebounds in less than two minutes — helped set the tone during the stretch when the Spartans put some distance between themselves and the Buckeyes for the time being. His offensive rebound in traffic while being fouled in the final two minutes helped preserve a road victory. Kohler finished with nine rebounds, four on the offensive end. His dish out of the post to a cutting Coen Carr with 1:03 remaining just about clinched the win.
Xavier Booker also had some really important moments — including great drive and bank shot early and pull-up jumper in transition to answer an Ohio State 3-pointer, giving the Spartans a 27-21 lead. It was a terrific feel-for-the-moment shot, preventing the Buckeyes from stealing back the momentum. Booker’s quick outlet pass to Richardson for a layup and a 47-35 MSU lead was the sort of play not every big man feels comfortable making. And his steal and coast-to-coast layup while being fouled put the Spartans back ahead 52-50 after they’d briefly lost the lead.
MSU has several of these guys right now. None of them are perfect or complete. But in total, it’s a pretty good crew. When one tandem isn’t working at a given time, there’s another good option right away — like when Zapala and Carr were losing the battle on the glass and Kohler and Booker replaced them at a critical juncture of the second half. It also allows Carson Cooper to play to his strengths in his role, without his limitations being frustrating.
And then there’s Carr — MSU’s ever-improving, game-changing wing, sometimes the best option at power forward.
The Spartans spent four years trying to figure out their interior positions, center especially. They’ve finally done so. That won’t be the reason they fall short this season.
3. Coen Carr’s development continues, his impact grows
We’re seeing new facets of Coen Carr’s game night to night, it seems. He’s beginning take and make 3s at home, for example. But more important is how he’s impacting the game closer to the rim, with the ball in his hands — and I’m not talking about dunks.
Friday night, we saw Carr take the ball on the drive and dish to Jeremy Fears for a 3. That play wasn’t there in November, really from either of those guys. Carr has shown an ability to put the ball on the floor and finish on the move off the glass. He’s shown an increased understanding of when to cut and how to move in the half court. But we hadn’t seen him drive and dish like he did to Fears in the first half.
Carr then had another stretch where he was force as a rebounder, especially on the offensive end, including on his own miss. There’s so much potential there. We’re seeing more and more of it every game. Physically, he changes this MSU team. His growth is MSU’s growth.
Contact Graham Couch at gcouch@lsj.com. Follow him on X @Graham_Couch and BlueSky @GrahamCouch.
