Three takeaways from Michigan State’s big road win over Illinois

[ad_1]

Saturday night’s win for Michigan State basketball over Illinois on the road was a massive win, and not just because it gave Tom Izzo the new record for the most wins of any Big Ten coach. As much as it is a sports cliche to say a team ‘needs a win’, the Spartans, who have lost three of their last four games, needed this win to keep in step with Michigan atop the Big Ten standings and continue their fight for a high-seed in the NCAA Tournament.

The Spartans managed to pull away in the second half to take care of the Fighting Illini 79 to 65. Below, we put together our three biggest takeaways from the game.

No. 1: Welcome to the Jaxon Kohler show

During this recent rough stretch, Michigan State has been searching for someone on the team to consistently hit a shot. Jaxon Kohler answered that call on Saturday night, hitting four of his five three-pointers and absolutely erupting for 23 points. He was also rebounding with aggression and intensity, racking up 10 boards on the night to go along with two steals and a block.

No. 2: Jeremy Fears’ weaknesses are becoming exploitable

Before I get into this one, I need to say, I have and will continue to be a Jeremy Fears Jr. believer. With how Tom Izzo wants to play, Fears is the perfect point guard. He is fantastic on the fast break, and he is a remarkable defender.

That being said, after missing a lot of his freshman season, Fears still has a few weaknesses, and teams have been keying into those flaws of late. Those flaws are his shooting and his turnovers. The combination of the two almost cost MSU the game before Kohler took over.

Fears had four turnovers and shot 2-for-8 from the field, scoring just four points in 23 minutes. At this points, teams are not guarding him on the perimeter at all, clogging up the paint and making things difficult on offense. It’s becoming a problem that I’m not sure the Spartans can keep ignoring.

No. 3: Once again, the resiliency of this team is off the charts

Michigan State lost three of four coming into…

[ad_2]
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/three-takeaways-michigan-states-big-034810889.html

Author : Spartans Wire

Publish date : 2025-02-16 03:48:00

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.