Michigan State basketball: 3 quick thoughts on win over North Carolina

Maui was officially a success for Michigan State basketball.

Going into the Maui Invitational, everyone said that a 2-1 trip would be a resounding success given the fact that the field included UConn, Iowa State, Auburn, Memphis, and North Carolina.

It turns out that Dayton was also far better than expected and UConn may not be quite as good as that No. 2 ranking. The Huskies went 0-3 in Maui and finished in eighth place and Dayton finished with close losses to North Carolina and Iowa State before beating UConn.

Michigan State’s win over North Carolina on Wednesday was the best victory of the season for Tom Izzo’s squad and they did it without Jase Richardson who looked to be held out as a precaution. It was a massive win for the Spartans as they improved to 6-2 on the year.

Here are my thoughts on the big win.

1. This team is incredibly balanced

Remember when Michigan State had Tyson Walker and Malik Hall? It felt like the offense had to go through those two guys or there would be no points scored. The team depended on two guys to do the bulk of the work and that’s why last year’s team fell short of expectations.

There’s none of that this year.

Michigan State just screams balance and that was evident on Wednesday as six guys scored at least 12 points against North Carolina — and that was without Jase Richardson. Jaden Akins, Frankie Fidler, Tre Holloman, Jeremy Fears, and Xavier Booker all broke the 12-point plateau and that just shows how balanced this team is. Anyone can take over on any given night. It’s like the great teams of Michigan State’s past.

2. Xavier Booker may have just found his spark

Xavier Booker had been struggling mightily over the first few weeks of the season. He was looking like a shell of the guy Michigan State basketball had recruited in the 2023 class and he fell out of the starting lineup. Confidence seemed to be waning.

That changed on Wednesday night against the No. 12 team in the country.

Booker proved that he belonged back in the starting five or, at the very least, deserves more minutes. He scored 12 points (all in the second half) with seven rebounds and a block in 24 minutes. He was the spark that the team needed when North Carolina was making its comeback.

We may have just gotten the elite Booker back.

3. MSU’s ceiling is highest with Coen Carr, Xavier Booker

Frankie Fidler coming off the bench was an interesting change on Wednesday and it seemed to pay off as he was playing with confidence and had 13 points with three rebounds and a steal. But the real revelation against North Carolina was the fact that a lineup with Coen Carr at the four and Booker at the five gives this team its highest ceiling.

Carr was making plays all over the court and the same could be said for Booker. Both played well and fed off each other in their roles.

If Michigan State basketball wants to make any noise this season, the starting lineup should probably be Fears, Akins, Fidler (or Holloman/Richardson), Carr, and Booker. That just feels like the best possible starting five.