MSU Basketball squares off against Virginia Tech: Five Most Important Players

Michigan State plays Virginia Tech in the first round of the Maui Jim Maui Invitational. Here are the five most important Spartan players.

Folks, it’s that special time of year. The Maui Jim Maui Invitational is here! Michigan State faces off against the Virginia Tech Hokies in the first round at the Lahaina Civic Center tomorrow at 5 P.M.

Here are the five most important players for MSU in this game:

Xavier Tillman

Outside of the talent disparity, Virginia Tech’s roster is not all that different from Kentucky’s roster. They have a strong Guard rotation on the perimeter. Down low though, Virginia Tech lacks depth. Michigan State must take advantage of this flaw. This is why Xavier Tillman is the most important Spartan in this game.

Tillman is averaging 12 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 2.3 assists on 48.6% shooting from the floor. Xavier should clean the glass all game long. Virginia Tech’s defense will close in on Tillman and this frees up the guards. He must inflict his will upon this game.

Aaron Henry

As I noted in my scouting report, Landers Nolley is the best Hokies basketball player. Cassius Winston and Rocket Watts are the better Guard defenders, but, both are too smaller for Nolley. Henry appeared to hurt both of his ankles in a freak play against Charleston Southern. After the game, Henry stated he was completely fine.

I think Izzo will call on Henry to matchup against Landers. Nolley has a slightly bigger frame than Henry. Henry stands at 6’6″ and Nolley stands at 6’7″. What’s most important is that Aaron can keep with Landers driving to the rim. How Henry handles this matchup is huge for Michigan State.

Malik Hall

Malik Hall is not just fun to watch, he is now vital to the Spartan’s offense. Hall makes high-energy plays on the boards in every single game. All the while, he can shoot the three at a very effective clip.

Much like Tillman, I expect Hall to have quite the game against Virginia Tech. He can exploit the lack of Forward depth by stretching out the defense. This opens up the lane for Winston to attack. Meanwhile, he’s washing windows all day long.

Gabe Brown

Gabe Brown’s importance in this game is quite similar to Aaron Henry’s importance. As a 6’7″ Forward, Brown will be asked to guard Landers Nolley at various points in this game. He must be ready for this responsibility. We all know him for high flying dunks. Can he defend at a high level against a spectacular scorer like Nolley? We’re all about to find out.

Foster Loyer

Okay, hear me out. I know fans think Foster Loyer has underperformed this year, but, that does not shrink his level of importance. As I mentioned earlier, the Virginia Tech roster is guard-heavy. Cassius Winston can only play so many minutes. So MSU will call on Foster Loyer at certain points in this game.

Loyer certainly must play better in this game than he has so far on the year. He needs to shoot the ball better from a distance. More importantly, he must play with confidence. Loyer can pass and can attack the rim. His development as a secondary playmaker to Winston is crucial for the Spartans.

You’ll note, I did not include Cassius Winston on this list. At this point, Winston is consistent in performance. He will show up against Virginia Tech. It’s more important for all of his Spartan teammates also play at a high level. Kentucky trapped Winston as much as possible and forced the ball out of his hands. He will rely heavily on teammates to deliver on crucial possessions

Michigan State takes on Virginia Tech tomorrow at 5 P.M. You can catch this game on ESPN2.

Stay with us on SpartansWire for coverage of this game and all the Spartan basketball info you need.

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