Michigan State basketball: 3 crazy stats from blowout win over Baylor

Michigan State basketball picked up a massive win over No. 6 Baylor on Saturday. Here are some stats that will blow your mind.

Despite facing highly-ranked, undefeated Baylor on Saturday, Michigan State basketball rose to the occasion and came away with a statement victory. The Spartans were firing on all cylinders for essentially the entire game, looked impressive in every facet, and earned a dominating win.

Here are a few stats that illustrate just how good of a game Tom Izzo’s team played against the Bears.

First-half points: Baylor 17, Tyson Walker 18

Yes, you read that correctly. The Bears were outscored by a single player at the half. When you combine MSU’s smothering team defense with Tyson Walker’s individual excellence, this is what you get. Against Baylor, it looked like every Spartan defender on the floor was in sync, moving like a well-oiled machine to snuff out shots and take the ball away. Walker, on the other hand, really asserted himself. Fans knew that he was capable of big things, but it’s looking like we may have underestimated just how big. In addition to his first-half flurry of scoring, Walker finished with 25 points, three rebounds, four assists, a block, and five steals. First-half stats aside, he’s making a legitimate case to be an All-American. He’s that good.

66.7% 3-point shooting

For the first month of the season, Michigan State struggled heavily to consistently connect from behind the arc.

Not on Saturday afternoon.

The Spartans finished 8-of-12 (66.7%) from 3-point range against Baylor, their best shooting performance of the season. It’s a surprise to be sure, but a very pleasant one. Fans have been waiting all year for MSU to figure out their shooting problem, and if this is any indication, they’re headed in the right direction. If Tom Izzo’s team can finally learn to consistently shoot the rock, they’re going to show why so many people picked them to win the championship. Time will tell, but Saturday’s performance was very, very promising.

15 steals, 6 blocks

That was a statement performance by the Michigan State defense. The Spartans racked up steals and blocks all night long, leaving the Bears no room to breathe and never allowing them to get comfortable. Part of the identity of Tom Izzo’s teams is hard-nosed, physical defense, and that’s exactly what we saw. The entire squad — the backcourt especially — hounded Scott Drew’s group all night, and it was a thing of beauty. When the entire Michigan State basketball team is on the same page and working together, they can essentially shut down their opponents. What we saw against Baylor was a textbook defensive outing.

What more can you ask for?