Aaron Henry definitely suffered from the sophomore slump this season. I think we can all agree that Aaron Henry features all of the natural abilities required to play in the NBA. He can seamlessly switch between guards and bigs in pick and roll situations on defense. On offense, Henry can slash, shoot threes, and make plays for other teammates. So why wasn’t this season an improvement?
Henry really struggled with turnovers this season. He tied with Tillman for second-highest turnovers on the team with 61 total turnovers. Furthermore, Henry sometimes blanked on the court and seemed lost at times. All the while, he regressed in three-point shooting percentage and overall field goal shooting percentage as well. MSU needed Henry to be an aggressive and reliable third option this year.
Now, the 2019-20 season was not a total wash for Henry. He improved in the following statistical categories: points per game, assists per game, rebounds per game, and steals per game. He also scored in double-digit figures for more than half the season. Henry even ended the season ranked 17th in Big Ten assists per game.
Aaron Henry did play better on the back end of the season, especially coming off the bench. He scored 63 points in the final five games of the season. This crucial stretch kept Michigan State ranked No. 9 the nation to close the season. Allow me to put on my tin foil hat and say that Henry could have possibly played even better going into the Big Ten & NCAA Tournaments.
Aaron Henry 2019-20 Season Grade: C+
Aaron Henry 2019-20 Season Stats: 10 points per game, 4.6 rebounds per game, 2.9 assists per game. 44% shooting from the floor, 34% three-point shooting.
Henry simply did not improve as much as fans expected this season. As a result, my grade goes beyond just stats and late-season play. Note, Henry recently declared for the NBA draft but maintains his NCAA eligibility.
