Michigan State basketball rides into postseason on a wave thanks to burgenoning guard play

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EAST LANSING – Jaden Akins’ confidence grows with every shot he sees finally falling.

Jase Richardson gets better with every game, and people in the Big Ten and nationally are taking notice.

Tre Holloman gains more and more fans with each iconic moment he delivers, providing a rare intersection of toughness and finesse, leadership and production.

RELATED: Couch: 3 quick takes on Michigan State basketball’s 79-62 win over Michigan as MSU raised a Big Ten championship banner

Jeremy Fears Jr., keeps learning and progressing a little over a year after being shot.

The old saying goes that guard play wins championships. And Tom Izzo continues to get high-level play as March Madness arrives from whichever combination he puts in Michigan State basketball’s backcourt.

One championship down, with two more out there to claim.

“We had some guys that really came on,” Tom Izzo said after No. 6 MSU’s 79-62 win Sunday over No. 21 Michigan at Breslin Center. “We’ve had a collection of people that worked together. …

“We had some guys that really came on. We had a collection of people that worked together,” Izzo said. “We didn’t know where Jeremy would be with his injury. Jase has kind of just skyrocketed up and he deserves what he’s gotten. Tre was a big difference in the game the second half of the game. And then there’s Jaden, who’s the mainstay. …

“I told all you for the last three weeks, if we start shooting the ball well, we could be a really, really, really good team, because we do the other things really well at a high level.”

Those four guards combined for 56 points (including eight 3-pointers), 14 rebounds, 13 assists and six steals against the Wolverines. MSU (26-5, 17-3) already won Izzo’s record-tying 11th Big Ten title outright for just the fifth time in his career.

Between them in the first half, the quartet scored 34 of the Spartans’ 50 points and helped force 11 of U-M’s 15 turnovers to race out to a 22-point lead by the break. Akins and Holloman…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/article/michigan-state-basketball-rides-postseason-104250374.html

Author : Lansing State Journal

Publish date : 2025-03-11 10:42:00

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