Tag: Aaron Henry

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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MSU basketball steamrolls Binghamton: Three Key Takeaways

Michigan State basketball absolutely steamrolled the Binghamton Bearcats last night. Here are three key takeaways from this game.

Michigan State basketball steamrolled the Binghamton Bearcats yesterday 100-47. This game was fresh on the heels of the emotional passing of Zachary Winston, brother of Cassius Winston. Cassius had an absolutely impressive showing as did a few other Spartans.

Here are three key takeaways from this game:

Cassius Winston Is Truly Special

You really cannot say enough about the talent of Cassius Winston. Excellent ball-handling abilities, premier court vision, and a high basketball IQ. Now, you truly cannot say enough about Cassius Winston the human being. Winston played with his teammates less than 24 hours after Zachary’s passing. All the while, his family was in attendance cheering him on.

Not only did Winston play but he did so exceptionally well. He ended the game with 17 points and 11 assists. Not to mention he had a few highlight-reel moves out on the court. This reminded me of NBA player Isaiah Thomas in the 2017 playoffs. Isaiah’s sister tragically passed away in a car accident. Thomas responded with 33 points and nine assists.

I cannot even speak to the strength Winston showed yesterday. The internal fortitude on display was absolutely impressive. Best of all, the Spartans rallied around Winston. I’ll be honest, I was misty all throughout the pregame ceremony.

Marcus Bingham Jr. Is Here

Marcus Bingham ended last year’s season with 23 total points. Through two games, Bingham has tallied up 20 points. Last year, he ended the season with 21 total shots. Through two games, Bingham has totaled 15 shots. So Bingham’s role has clearly grown from one year to the next.

Bingham is certainly taking advantage of his playing time and opportunities. He already has four blocked shots, 12 rebounds, and one assist to boot. Best of all, he brings so much energy to the game. Hustle points near the rim are absolutely invaluable in modern basketball games. He put up 13 points off of the bench and this type of contribution is huge for MSU. Glad to see Bingham thriving in a more prominent role.

Players Finding Their Groove

Three players stood out in this game beyond Cassius and Bingham. This includes Gabe Brown, Rocket Watts, and Thomas Kithier. Kithier was near the rim at all of the right times. This lead to 10 total points for sophomore Forward from Clarkston, MI. Likewise, Gabe Brown looked formidable and made the most out of his 13 minutes of game time.

Now, I know I’m all on the Rocket Watts hype train but I’m here for a reason. Watts only shot 2-9 from the floor, however, taking more shots is the best game plan. Rocket was definitely intimidated by Kentucky’s strong guard rotation. Against Binghamton, he was smooth and calm. His shot will fall as time goes on. The best thing he can do is to just keep shooting.

The most notable player finding his groove was Aaron Henry. Henry ended the night with 17 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 assists. Meanwhile, he was guarding almost every position on the other team. Henry needs to do a lot for MSU to go far this year and that is not to discredit the team. Instead, it highlights his importance on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball.

Michigan State plays next on Thursday, Nov. 14 against Seton Hall. The game starts at 8:30 P.M. and you can watch the action on FS1.

As always, stay locked on SpartansWire for more coverage to come.

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