MSU vs. Charleston Southern basketball: Three Things To Watch

Michigan State welcomes Charleston Southern to the Breslin Center tomorrow. Here are three things to watch in this game.

Michigan State welcomes Charleston Southern basketball to the Breslin Center tomorrow for a 6:30 P.M. game. Charleston Southern is 1-3 fresh off of a loss to Dayton, 90-61. Michigan State, on the other hand, is 2-1 comes off a close 76-73 victory over Seton Hall.

Here are three things to watch in this game:

Dontrell Shuler

Dontrell Shuler is without a doubt the best player on the Charleston Southern basketball roster. The 6″2 sophomore guard has seemingly made a leap after last year. In the 2018 season, Shuler only averaged 10.9 points. So far, he’s averaging 20 points on the year.

If you remember, Seton Hall guard Myles Powell gave Michigan State fits. Granted, Powell is a senior and looked like one of the best players in all of college basketball. It is possible for Shuler to also be a problem. He is another small guard and can lure Winston into foul trouble early.

Watch the matchup Tom Izzo puts out against Shuler. I predict Rocket Watts will get a ton of minutes guarding Dontrell Shuler. This could be a good test for Watts on the defensive end.

Newcomer Success

All year, fans have wondered who would be the impressive newcomer. Malik Hall filled this role against Seton Hall and went absolutely bananas. Hall played 19 minutes and made the most of each. He ended the game with 17 points and went 7-7 from the field including three shots from beyond the arc.

It is highly likely Malik Hall gets even more minutes against Charleston Southern. It is highly unlikely he is 100% perfect from the field again, but,he can still contribute well. Especially if his three-point shooting persists. MSU needs a big man that can space the floor.

Guard Depth

Rocket Watts is slowly developing his confidence whereas Foster Loyer looks a bit timid. Outside of Winston, MSU seems to lack Guard depth. Kyle Ahrens just does not look right out on the floor. The Spartans need a Guard to step up in this game, who will it be?

Fans have been hard on Foster Loyer given that he was so good in high school. I think he can still grow this year. Against Seton Hall, Loyer looked a bit more confident. He hit a nice three early in the game and later converted on a layup with the defense draped all over him.

I’m still high on Rocket Watts as well. He ended the Seton Hall victory with eight points, shooting 3-8 from the field. He also grabbed five boards and two steals. Right now, Watts should keep shooting and focus on defensive production. Worst case scenario, he misses shots but comes up with multiple steals in each game.

You can catch this game on Big Ten Network at 6:30 P.M. tomorrow. Cheer on the Spartan Dawgs during this game.

Stay locked on SpartansWire for more coverage to come.

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