Couch: 3 quick takes on Michigan State basketball's 81-74 win over Rutgers at Madison Square Garden

Couch: 3 quick takes on Michigan State basketball’s 81-74 win over Rutgers at Madison Square Garden

Posted by author January 25, 2025 Basketball

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1. MSU’s poise and depth was too much for Rutgers, even at Madison Square Garden

NEW YORK – There is a steadiness about this Michigan State basketball team that we’re seeing repeatedly in hostile environments. It’s a big reason the Spartans are now 8-0 in the Big Ten, with 12 straight wins. It’s a big reason the Spartans beat Rutgers, 81-74, Saturday at Madison Square Garden in a game they controlled most of the way.

MSU won with its depth — from Coen Carr and Jase Richardson to Frankie Fidler and Jase Richardson, Xavier Booker and Tre Holloman, too. It won with its rebounding and free-throw shooting. And it won with its poise.

We’ve all seen teams at MSU and elsewhere that are susceptible to drowning in the energy of a building full of opposing fans and being rattled by the energy that provides the home team. Rutgers had all that Saturday at the Garden. This felt like the Scarlet Knights’ home court, with the added advantage of a big-game feel, and at a place that’s been hell for MSU, including in this matchup two years ago.

But when it was 10-3 Rutgers, the Spartans had answers and a look to the way they played, like they knew the game would turn. Spurred in part by Carr, MSU scored 16 of the game’s next 17 points for a 19-11 lead.

When Rutgers got back into it, eventually tying the score at 28-28, with the building buzzing, MSU answered with one of those patented, momentum-changing backdoor alley-oop dunks to Carr, then two Richardson free throws and, at 32-30, a well-orchestrated possession that led to a Richardson 3.

At 47-43, as The Garden began to swell again and as Jaden Akins lost the ball relatively late in the shot clock, there was zero panic, just patience. Jaxon Kohler picked it up, swung it around and it wound up in Booker’s hands late in the clock for driving, pull-up jumper in the lane. One of those key plays that doesn’t happen if a team is on edge. A minute later, after a perfect pass from Fidler to Akins for a 3 and a block by Fidler that led to a Holloman layup, it was 54-44 MSU, the game back in the Spartans’ control.

I don’t know what’s to come for this MSU team in February. There will be more tricky moments on the road. But based on what we’ve seen, you’ve got to like their chances at handling them relatively well.

2. Coen Carr made himself indispensable Saturday

If it seemed like Coen Carr was the best player on the floor for good stretches of Saturday’s game, MSU’s coaches agreed. As the Spartans shuffled lineups — especially in the first half — there was one constant: Carr.

He was MSU’s best defensive matchup for Rutgers’ future NBA top-five pick Ace Bailey — who finished 4-for-17 shooting — and on the other end made some critical plays when they were needed, from early on and throughout.

With MSU trailing 10-3, it was Carr who attacked the basket and scored while being fouled and then put pressure on the rim again to draw more free throws to get the score quickly back to 11-9. His dunk a couple possessions later made it 13-11 MSU. And then there was the aforementioned backdoor dunk for a 30-28 lead. In the second half, there two more buckets — including a one-handed throw-down after driving by the defense — that helped MSU cap the run that gave the Spartans control.

Just as important as his 14 points (making all five shots) and defense (including two blocked shots), were his eight rebounds, three on the offensive end, including one twisting balancing rebound to preserve a possession when MSU was scuffling a little at 64-54 with four minutes left. He was the deference-making rebounder he should be every night.

Carr’s 26 minutes were the most he’s played since 27 against North Carolina in Maui, at the beginning of this win streak. Given the the matchup with Bailey and the game being in New York, there are likely a few important eyes that might start to think of Carr differently after his impact Saturday.

3. Jase Richardson breaks out of funk

Call it a freshman wall or just a couple games where Jase Richardson didn’t look as smooth and as part of things offensively has he has been. Whatever you call it, you can call it over after Saturday.

Richardson was a shot-maker again in Saturday’s win against Rutgers, with a game-high 20 points on a season-high nine shots, making six of them, including going 3-for-4 from behind the arc.

Richardson is an important piece to this season. It was too early to think he’d hit a wall. But the MSU’s best chance to be a team that’s a problem deep in the NCAA tournament is for Richardson to continue to be a problem for opponents — one more option off the bench that raises the Spartans’ ceiling.

He did Saturday, a good sign for MSU.

Contact Graham Couch at gcouch@lsj.com. Follow him on X @Graham_Couch and on BlueSky @GrahamCouch.