Roundball recap: MSU basketball takes win at Indiana

It got a little hairy at the end there, but who cares? They don’t ask how you won — they ask how many you’ve won.

And folks, that number is now 22 wins as our Spartans are riding a six-game winning streak. Let’s jump into the recap.

A win is a win, especially on the road. Yes, Indiana is a pretty lousy team this year. However, any time you can leave Assembly Hall with a win, that’s huge.

MSU looked like it was stumbling to the finish line late in the game, and around the five minute mark you start thinking that an Indiana comeback was possible. Our Spartans turned into escape artists and got away with a win, which is what good teams do. Good teams find ways to win games they’re not supposed to, and a game where they looked fatigued at the end and also got out-rebounded 53-29(!) on the road was certainly a game they could have easily lost.

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This was the Matt McQuaid game. I feel like we are due for at least one of these a year, and it struck Saturday. I’m a holder of the theory that McQuaid’s entire night will be decided on his first shot. Make it, he’ll be money that night. Miss it bad, he’s not making a shot the whole night.

Well, Saturday his first shot went clean through the hoop and his second one just moments after was all nylon too. After that second one, you could tell McQuaid was FEELING himself.

His biggest 3-ball of the game was, of course, with 1:12 left in the game to push MSU to a 61-57 lead to halt a four minute scoring drought. That was also a great find from Cassius Winston too.

That shooting combined with his defense, McQuaid was the game’s MVP in my opinion.

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Jaren Jackson Jr. is now No. 10 in career blocks at MSU with 89 blocks. Yes, more than one month to go in his freshman season and he’s already in the top ten for career blocks. Madness. Insanity. Here’s who sits ahead of him for career blocks all time:

And here’s this nice tidbit from Matt Hoeppner too:

Miles Bridges did not have his best game, but they apparently didn’t need it as they won anyway. And listen, I despise listening to that ESPN color commentator as much as you do, but he does have a good point regarding Miles Bridges game – he really does look uncomfortable with that second dribble. Bridges does indeed have game, but if there’s one big weakness on offense, it’s finding comfort with that second dribble and creating once he gets in the lane.

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Oh, by the way, anyone else think that Devonte Green’s 70-foot heave was going in? That looked money off his hands. I think my heart rate has finally come down to a healthy level after watching that.

Up next is the Iowa Hawkeyes on Tuesday at 9 p.m. Look at your phone and find the last three people you’ve texted. Now look at your pet. You plus those four could beat the Iowa Hawkeyes this year.

This is the last buildup game before the game of the season against Purdue next Saturday, which is now a 4 p.m. game.

I’ll also be in Chicago for that game and heard the Tin Lizzy is the place to watch the game – can any of you confirm that is the best Chicago spot for a MSU game?