Michigan State Basketball won a barn burner last night against Illinois, 70-69. The Spartans enjoyed a victory thanks to key contributions from Xavier Tillman and Rocket Watts. Now, MSU is 17-8 overall and 9-5 in Big Ten Conference games.
Here are three key takeaways from this game:
1. Slow Road Starts, Be Gone!
As you know, Michigan State struggles early on in road games. This did not stand true against Illinois. Instead, the Spartans jumped out to a huge lead in the first ten minutes of this game. They were clicking on all cylinders and this high level of play was truly impressive. Hopefully, this strong performance kick starts MSU’s offense moving forward.
2. Rocket Watts Cleared For Takeoff
Rocket Watts went absolutely bananas last night against Illinois. He scored a career-high 21 points on 9/14 shooting from the floor and 2/4 from three-point land. Most importantly, Watts his shots in critical moments during this game. He hit one floater right over a defender in the second half. Now, Watts looks incredibly confident in his on-court abilities. Let’s see what he does throughout the rest of this season!
3. Still Room For Growth
Michigan State did shake their early-game struggles but there is still plenty of room for growth. After all, Illinois climbed right back into this game during the second half. MSU must be more consistent on the defensive end of the floor, especially on the perimeter. Also, Michigan State must shoot get to the free-throw line more often. Illinois took 11 more free-throws than the Spartans.
The Spartans are back in action this Saturday on Feb. 15 against Maryland. The game starts at 6 P.M. and broadcasts live on ESPN. Follow along on SpartansWire for plenty of coverage to come.
