Michigan State absolutely hammered the Quinnipiac Bobcats 96-59 in their season opener Monday night, but the real headline? Center Anton Bonke, who dominated the glass with a game-leading 13 rebounds.
Bonke’s Boards and Paint Dominance
Listen, coach Tom Izzo had to open the season without Jesse McCulloch, who was out with a “minor, minor concussion.” But Bonke, man, he seized that moment. He wasn’t just leading everyone with 13 boards, he dropped 11 points on an efficient five of seven shooting. Four of those rebounds? Straight up offensive boards, showing he was just relentlessly attacking. He put in 19 minutes, and for a guy filling in for McCulloch, who was averaging 10.7 points and 3.7 boards in 18.3 minutes during the preseason, Bonke delivered.
And it wasn’t just him, either. The Spartans owned the paint, racking up 50 points there compared to Quinnipiac’s measly 22. Kaleb Glenn came off the bench and added 11 points on a perfect five-for-five shooting. That’s how you win the rebound battle 46-27.
Spreading the Arc and Bench Impact
The three-point game was looking sharp, too, something Izzo will be stoked about. The Spartans went nine for 23 from deep, blowing past last season’s average of 7.7 threes a game at 36.3%. What’s even better? Seven different players knocked down a three. Kur Teng was the only one with multiples, draining three of five attempts. That spread-out scoring is a problem for defenses.
Forward Coen Carr, who had a rough preseason, looked like a different player. The coaches wanted him to be more aggressive, and he answered, putting up 12 points on four of eight shooting. He even hit his only three-point attempt, which is huge, especially after only hitting 27.6% last season. If he keeps that up, watch out.
And don’t even get me started on Carlos Medlock Jr.! Backup point guard play was a black hole last season after Divine Ugochukwu went down, forcing Izzo to rely on Denham Wojcik’s 28.6% shooting or extend Jeremy Fears Jr.’s minutes. Medlock Jr. looks like the real deal, though. Nine points on four of five shooting and four assists? Problem solved, at least for one night.
Not everything was perfect, though. True freshman Jasiah Jervis, the first true freshman to start an opener in five years since Max Christie, struggled to find his shot. Four points on one of six shooting, with five of those from deep, isn’t what he wanted. He’ll get there, but it’s a reminder that even big opportunities come with growing pains.
Izzo’s Deep Bench: Who Stays, Who Goes?
One of the most intriguing takeaways from Monday’s game is Izzo’s incredibly deep rotation. He played a whopping 11 players for over five minutes each, and that’s *without* McCulloch even touching the court. We know Izzo typically trims his rotation, so this can’t last all season.
Freshman forward Julius Avent only saw seven minutes, so it’s a safe bet he’ll be one of the guys seeing reduced time. But one more player still has to get cut from that deep bench to get to Izzo’s normal 10-man rotation. Who’s it gonna be? Everyone’s battling for those minutes early in the season.
The Spartans don’t get much time to rest, jumping right back into action Thursday night. They’ll be hosting the Toledo Rockets at the Breslin Center, with an 8 p.m. ET tip. Let’s see if Bonke keeps that fire, and who else steps up to claim those crucial rotation spots!
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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