Tom Izzo stuck with Anton Bonke in the starting lineup as Michigan State absolutely rolled Toledo 91-61 last night, even with Jesse McCulloch back from a mild concussion. But if you thought that settled the center question, you weren’t watching closely enough, because things got wild on the bench and Izzo’s got a whole new puzzle on his hands.
The Bench Mob Is Here, And They Are Coming For Minutes
McCulloch, who missed the Quinnipiac opener with what Graham Couch of the Lansing State Journal called a mild concussion, was cleared and “good to go” against the Rockets. Yet he played only 12 minutes off the bench. Izzo hinted at a minute restriction before the game, which makes sense, but what really blew up the rotation was freshman Ethan Taylor. This guy came off the bench and played a solid 14 minutes, which is *more* than Bonke’s 13 minutes as the starter! Taylor dropped 8 points, going a perfect two for two from the field, and snagged 5 rebounds. Suddenly, it looks like Izzo is just going with whoever is playing well at center on any given night. What a situation, especially with Duke looming!
And speaking of players stepping up, let’s talk about Jasiah Jervis. After a rough debut where he only scored 4 points and went one-for-six from the field against Quinnipiac, Jervis bounced back big time. He led the Spartans in scoring with 16 points, hitting four shots from deep on seven attempts. This freshman is expected to be a key part of the offense, and man, he showed exactly why last night. That’s the kind of performance you absolutely need to see from a young guy with high expectations.
Glass Eaters vs. Charity Stripe Woes
Michigan State absolutely dominated the glass, which was one of the biggest reasons they crushed the Rockets. They won the rebound battle 52-27. Think about that: 52-27! Six different Spartans grabbed five or more rebounds, while Toledo had only one player hit that mark. They weren’t just grabbing defensive boards either; 16 of their rebounds came on the offensive end, turning into a massive 27 second-chance points. Toledo only managed 6. Oh, and the Rockets were missing their starting center, Austin Parks. That definitely helped, but still, you gotta love seeing that kind of effort on the boards.
However, it wasn’t all sunshine and lollipops. The Spartans made some seriously unforced mistakes that are gonna bite them against better teams. They coughed up the ball 14 times, and the Rockets snatched 8 steals. Jeremy Fears Jr. led the team with 4 turnovers, even though he dished out 9 assists. And the free throw struggles? Oh boy, they continued. MSU went a dismal 23 for 38 from the line. That’s just over 60 percent, and it brings their season average down to 59.4% after going 15 for 26 against Quinnipiac. That’s gotta be cleaned up, like, yesterday.
The Refs Called Every Single Thing, Seriously
The game wasn’t just about MSU’s offense; the officials were definitely front and center. They blew the whistle 49 times last night! Forty-nine! This led to each team losing a player on their fifth foul: Cam Ward for Michigan State and Sean Jones for Toledo. Between the two squads, they attempted a combined 67 free throws. It was a foul fest. Only two players who played more than five minutes didn’t pick up a foul: Coen Carr and Anton Bonke. That’s just wild.
So, what’s next for No. 6 Michigan State? They face second-ranked Duke in the Champions Classic on Tuesday, Nov. 10. Izzo’s got some serious frontcourt decisions to make before that showdown, especially with Taylor making a statement. If these guys don’t clean up the turnovers and free throws, it could be a long night against Duke. But man, Jervis and Taylor coming alive like that? That’s what you absolutely love to see early in the season.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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