MSU Basketball beat Bryant, 87-62 in the NCAA Tournament: 3 Quick Takes

1. The early nerves of MSU eventually changed in the second half

CLEVELAND – By the end of Friday night’s game, the 2016 flashback to Central Tennessee state in 2016 had been washed away for a long time by offensive rebounds and Cohenkers and Michigan teams who looked like a group that could run in this NCAA tournament in the second half.

The Spartans had to conquer some early nerves and excessive excitement. The final score of 87-62 does not tell the entire story. But that was a natural result by the MSU team, and they have done more than finding their stride, survived and moved forward.

The Spartans will play 10 New Mexicos on Sunday nights at 8:40pm. The inconvenience they willing to take.

The MSU security guards were relatively quiet and besides calming the mind of Jaden Akins on March 3, they exploded with 37 points in the second half, with Jeremy’s fear pushing the ball and scoring nine points.

This will be a more trickier matchup than expected. The Spartan took a while. In the end, they figured it out. I showed some teeth. As they move on, they will feel good about this.

“I think it’s great for us to feel this first game and this NCAA tournament under our belt,” Fear said.

2. This was a Cohen Carr game

We could see it early to win enough matchups to control this. Cohen Kerr must be in court.

Bryant was athletic, long with security guards and wing spots, athletic, small with power forwards and Wiley at center spot. And it’s impressively confident and tough. For everyone at MSU, the pain matchup for big men at MSU seemed like MSU should have had an offensive advantage. This was a game where car’s ends and versatile athleticism made him the key to all MSU lineups and technically advanced power.

“They were looking at who got it after the Sunday selection and saying I would be the majority of this game,” Kerr said.

Having a physical type and athletic ability at work is one thing. Your game needs to accommodate this too. And Carr is, and is. We knew it was based on the season he had and the good rounds he became a growing player. But this is another kind of stage, the moment he had to meet – and he did.

By halftime he had 15 points and five rebounds. He finished with 18 points and nine rebounds, with the sixth at an offensive end. His five quick points with MSU chasing 24-21 in the first half – a ridiculously offensive rebound and dunk followed by spinning layups (and making free throws) while being fouled – was one of the more important sequences in the game, helping MSU head to halftime for the first time. His puttback postdunk over Bryant’s Earl Timberlake will be seen again once “One Shining Moment” is played at the end of this tournament.

“A dynamic and dynamic athlete,” Bryant coach Phil Marteri Jr. said of Carr. “The way he sprints down the floor and crashes the glass. He got an offensive rebound.

One of the great strengths of this MSU team is how the answers to most puzzles are. Carr was Friday. And he was ready for it.

3. This game changed when MSU began to rule the attack glass

The fact that MSU wears off Bryant and is the best version in itself was no great example of it being the best version in itself than the way the Spartans began to dominate the board in the second half, especially at an offensive end. This is how MSU controlled the game.

In the first half, a 5-4 offensive rebound advancing bulging into the second half grabbed 16 offensive boards to Bryant’s five after halftime. That led to a whopping 27 second chance points in the final 20 minutes. Jaxon Kohler had four of these offensive rebounds. Carson Cooper, Cohen Kerr and Franky Fiddler each had three. The way Caller and Kerr led offensive rebounds with offensive rebounds during a key period in the middle of the half led to a three-point shot that cleared up the game.

This is one of the biggest differences between this year’s MSU team and the teams of the past few years. It’s an identity that wins the game and prevents confusion in March.

Please contact Graham Couch (gcouch@lsj.com). x Follow him on @graham_couch and bluesky @grahammouch.