Tag: Gabe Brown

MSU blows out Charleston Southern: Three Key Takeaways

Michigan State basketball handled their business against Charleston Southern in a 94-46 win. Here are three key takeaways from this game.

Everyone relax, there is no need to overreact. Michigan State basketball shined in this blowout 94-46 victory over Charleston Southern, but, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. The Spartans must focus on bigger opponents in the future like Virginia Tech & Duke.

Here are three key takeaways from this game:

Gabe Brown Is Here

Boy oh boy, Gabe Brown looks like a stud. Aaron Henry sat out with a sprained ankle. As a result, Brown played 28 minutes against Charleston Southern. Gabe scored 12 points on 5-7 from the floor. Plus, he tallied up 6 boards, one assist, and one block.

Brown’s development adds depth at the Forward position for Michigan State. Especially if he continues his solid defensive play. Opponents best Forwards will face either Aaron Henry or Gabe Brown as a matchup. That’s a tough ask. Best of all, Gabe looks incredibly confident on the floor.

Xavier Tillman Fulfilling Potential

There were some question marks coming into the season for MSU’s Center spot. I mean, most people would put money on Tillman starting, but, how good would he be? Well guys and gals, he is good.

Tillman ended the night with 21 points on 9-12 shooting from the floor along with 10 rebounds, four assists, and a block. He missed two threes but that’s okay, as long as he keeps taking them. As a Center, you must prove to defenders that you will take open threes. If not, the defense will not respect you from distance.

The most important stat here is definitely Tillman’s four assists. One Spartan must step up as a secondary playmaker in these games. Cassius Winston cannot be the lone playmaker or teams will easily scheme against MSU’s offense. Luckily, Tillman and Rocket Watts have both tallied up plenty of assists as of late.

Young Players Developing Confidence

There are a lot of young guys on this Spartan’s roster coming into their own. In particular, I think of Malik Hall, Rocket Watts, and Foster Loyer. Loyer has a long way to go, but, he is showing some flashes.

Malik Hall came back down to earth against Charleston Southern. Regardless, he still rebounded the ball extremely well and had a few put back points. He even found a few teammates for three assists. The Spartans need some energy off of the bench and Hall plays that role well.

Rocket Watts continues to get better and better each game. Especially when it comes to dishing the rock. Watts ended the night with six assists, including a sick alley-oop to Gabe Brown. Most impressive is his ability to rebound as a Guard. Expect big things from Watts in the tournament this year.

MSU’s next basketball game is against Virginia Tech on Nov. 25 at 5 P.M. You can catch this game on ESPN2.

Stay locked on SpartansWire for more basketball coverage to come.

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Michigan State Basketball’s Gabe Brown throws down huge dunk against Charleston Southern

MSU Basketball won big against Charleston Southern tonight and this Gabe Brown dunk says it all.

By the time you read this, Michigan State Men’s Basketball will have probably already beaten Charleston Southern. As I am typing this MSU is up 87-40 so I don’t think I’m jinxing anything by saying that. Anyway, this was a fun game and a nice change of pace from the drama-filled win over Seton Hall. In my favorite highlight of the game, Gabe Brown threw down a huge dunk over Charleston Southern, putting the exclamation point on a huge game.

You can watch it below:

Steven Izzo just checked in so this thing is over folks.

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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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