Three takeaways from Michigan State’s Sweet Sixteen win over Ole Miss

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Michigan State basketball started this year unranked, considered a middle-of-the-pack Big Ten team, and many thought they would have to get lucky just to make the NCAA Tournament. Flash forward to Friday night, when No. 2 seeded MSU took down yet another feisty NCAA Tournament opponent in Ole Miss, and it’s hard to remember a time when MSU wasn’t thought of as one of the top teams in the country.

It definitely wasn’t an easy win, as the Spartans only won by three points and trailed for much of the night, but once again, this team found a way to win.

Below, you can see our three key takeaways after an exciting night for the Spartans, who will now be dancing into the Elite 8.

Coen Carr has earned his starting spot

In the second half of the Spartans’ second tournament win over New Mexico, Coen Carr was moved into the starting lineup coming out of the halftime locker room. That doesn’t look like a temporary move, as Coen Carr lined back up in the starting lineup on Friday night against Ole Miss.

After a night of playing dogged defense and scoring 15 points, it looks like the right move. This seemed inevitable all year, as Carr developed at an exponential rate until his spot in the starting lineup became practically undeniable.

Carr’s rim-rattling dunk in the second half seemed to signal a shift in this one, as his dunks usually do, and the Spartans didn’t look back. I would expect to see Carr starting the rest of the tournament. Props to Izzo and his staff for having the courage to make such a bold lineup move during March Madness.

Jase Richardson, welcome back

After one uncharacteristically bad game against New Mexico, Jase Richardson is fully back. The Spartans’ best offensive weapon dropped 20 points and also had six rebounds, second on the team, including a huge rebound in crunch-time that helped seal the win.

One of the biggest reasons that this MSU team has been so lethal this year is the emergence of Richardson, and they will need this version of Richardson moving forward if…

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Publish date : 2025-03-29 02:41:00

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