Michigan State Basketball: Good, great, bad, and ugly from win over Southern Indiana

Great: Starting balance production

A staple in Tom Izzo offenses is sharing the ball, and taking the shot the defense allows. Michigan State basketball did that against Southern Indiana, finishing the night with 21 assists. Four out of the five starters ended with double-digit scoring, Hoggard being the only one who did not (more on him in the next section). Once again, the 3-point shot was not working for Michigan State, so all four starters attacked in different ways. Midrange, layups, and the aforementioned free throws allow Michigan State to stay in front of a bad Southern Indiana team.

Of the four starters finishing in double digits, three of them finished shooting 50 percent from the field on the night. Walker and Sissoko finished shooting 85 percent and 100 percent, respectively. Efficiency like that, especially when the deep ball is not falling, will lead to success.

Being able to spread a defense thin thanks to multiple players filling the stat sheet is a great skill. If Michigan State can balance its offense, opposing defenses will not be able to key in on one player. This likely would eliminate a shutdown opposing defender dictating MSU offensive production. That would give MSU an incredible advantage on the offensive end. One that will be needed these next few weeks against Duke, Butler, and Arizona.