Michigan State Basketball: 3 Winners Against Toledo

Michigan State basketball has impressed early in their young season. With a 37-point season-opening victory against Quinnipiac, and now a 91-61 win to take down the Toledo Rockets, Tom Izzo might just have his best team since Cassius Winston kissed the Spartan logo on senior night.

Of course they Spartans can play a lot better than they showed these past two games.  In fact, Izzo entered his postgame press conference with that same mentality after his squad beat the opposing team by 30 total points.

“I was disappointed, and that takes nothing away from Toledo,” Izzo said. That said, it was the expectation to find “teaching tape” ahead of Tuesday’s upcoming Champions Classic matchup with Duke in Chicago, Ill.

With all of the mistakes and missed free throws that could be pounding Izzo in his head, the Spartans do have a lot to like in these past two contests, while they step into a new season.

Here are three players who impressed in Thursday’s contest against Toledo.

Jasiah Jervis

The freshman has had high hopes and expectations coming into the season, but the first five minutes of the game really showed why Izzo and his staff were so high on the young kid from the Bronx.  Jervis started out the game with two three pointers, intense defensive pressure and an overall confidence that seemed to emulate to everyone else on the team.

By halftime, Jervis led the team with 16 total points, including four three-pointers, five rebounds, and a block as well as a steal to go along with his offensive production.  The four-star freshman went five-for-nine from the field, as well as adding two free throws to the stat sheet in a team-leading 26 minutes.

Jervis, the first freshman to start the season opener for Izzo’s team since Max Christie did in 2021, has received certain appraise early in his career.  And while the Spartans have not necessarily needed his offensive output thus far, it was comforting to see how Jervis fits into this Spartan offense.

Jordan Scott

Speaking of freshman starting, last year’s freshman starter remains in this conversation. It is worth noting that Scott started mid-season, of course.

Scott just seems like a Tom Izzo type of player.  The sophomore is a hustler, diving at every ball, consistently clogging up passing lanes and finding the right spot to be in almost every offensive possession.

During one specific play, Scott slipped behind freshman Ethan Taylor and his matchup down low to intercept a pass along the baseline.  And although the ball ended going out of bounce, it was still an impressive play knowing where to be at the right time.

“I got to go back a long time to find someone who plays as hard as Jordan does,” Izzo stated in his postgame press conference.

In fact, if there was anything Izzo could say that would reaffirm Scott’s intensity, it would be the fact that Izzo revealed that MSU’s staff has been forced to ensure Scott gets his ample rest time, to avoid Scott, “burning himself out.” When asked about burning himself out during the game when available to media, Scott shrugged and said he did not realize it.

It is always considered a good thing when a coach has to tell a player to play softer instead of harder, and it shows in Scott’s intensity and hustle during the games.

Big Men Down Low

All three Spartans who primarily play the five spot improved and showed glimpses of greatness tonight.  With Cam Ward getting called for three personal fouls in the first half, MSU was forced to play with more size and rotate between Jesse McCulloch, Anton Bonke and Ethan Taylor down low in the post.

In the first game against Quinnipiac, McCulloch was out with a minor concussion.  That meant that both Bonke and Taylor would have to play at the five spot.  Oddly enough, it seemed like the green and white thrived more with Cam Ward or Kaleb Glenn at the five, playing more of a small-ball styled lineup.

That was not the case Thursday though, as both Taylor and Bonke just seemed more comfortable with the speed of the game out on the floor.  McCulloch showed off the improvements Izzo mentioned over the past summer with his versatility guarding defenders and improved interior post work.

Bonke and Taylor, for a majority of the possessions had their head snapped back around and were in the right place to defend opponents drives to the basket.  In terms of their offensive outputs, Bonke ended the game with nine points and seven rebounds, while Taylor finished with eight points, five rebounds, and as an extra bonus, went four-for-six from the free throw line.

It is an encouraging sign for the Spartans as MSU turns their focus and attention to No. 2 Duke next Tuesday in the Champions Classic.  Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje, Duke’s 7-foot-2 freshman who moves like a cheetah, will be a big threat to Michigan State.  It will be up to the frontcourt to limit the Blue Devils interior attack, and give MSU the chance to win.