1. What seemed like Christmas to MSU fans – Xavier Booker's first start – somehow turned into a stunning and costly loss
EAST LANSING – For most of the season, I've understood – and largely agreed – that Tom Izzo and Co. are playing Xavier Booker's deployment slow. He wasn't ready. That was clear well into January. More than evident in December.
But things had changed. Booker seemed more comfortable in recent weeks and by Feb. 25, MSU coaches thought he was ready.
For MSU fans, it was Christmas on Sunday – either ten months early or two months late, depending on your perspective. Or maybe on time.
Xavier Booker's first career start on Sunday was a gift that exceeded the expectations of fans who were just hoping the Spartans' big freshman would see playing time in both halves. Booker, who started the game in the middle, definitely got Breslin Center going. His presence from the jump and for extended minutes helped the Spartans take a 10-point lead five minutes into the second half.
Then, like a toy inexplicably taken away from his parents, Booker didn't come on the court for the final 15 minutes of the game, after playing 17 of the first 25. And it appears MSU ended up losing 60-57 A last-second 3-pointer from Ohio State's Dale Bonner to Tyson Walker that ruined the day and put the Spartans' NCAA Tournament prospects in a more precarious position than it ever should have been.
MSU didn't lose this game just because Mady Sissoko was the pick down the middle. Sissoko played better than he has in a long time, but was unable to break through late on offense, which might have made a difference. The Spartans lost this game because they scored seven points in the final ten-plus minutes and played with fire at that pace. They lost that game because Walker and Jaden Akins largely couldn't buy a basket.
They lost that game because their offense died while a rookie who showed he could provide some momentum on offense was on the bench. They lost because Ohio State was able to get deeper touches in the post, as their interim coach said when MSU's long-armed freshman sat.
A brutal loss. One that all but guarantees the Spartans will finish as an 8th seed or worse in the NCAA Tournament if they make it. They still have to win a lot to make it.
A game that looked like a potential jolt to MSU's season – like a new hope – but was anything but.
2. Thoughts for freshmen – the first starting edition of Xavier Booker
The question of whether this should have happened sooner is fair, although anyone who saw Booker play in December knows he wasn't the player back then that he is today. On Sunday, he appeared ready to be an impact player. His occasional slip-ups – such as going on the block instead of boxing out – were made up for by what he provided.
For one thing, his arms are everywhere. He blocked three shots, switched others and also batted away a pass. He caught a ball that Jaden Akins had lost on the drive by reaching out to it with his long arms, grabbing it and putting it in quickly. It's a play MSU's other big man can't make. They don't have that combination of length, hands and speed.
Booker played two long stints in the first half – the first was planned (although it was supplemented by the lack of a dead-ball break), the second due to foul trouble for Malik Hall and perhaps Carson Cooper. MSU didn't get back to him in the latter parts of the second half, a sign that the coaches still have more confidence in Mady Sissoko. I guess this is the final hurdle Booker has to overcome.
In total, Booker played 17 minutes, scored seven points on 3-for-6 shooting, including a 3-pointer, and grabbed three rebounds to go along with the blocks.
Another quality of Booker: his versatility. He started at center, but when Hall got his second foul, he slid to power forward as Sissoko checked in.
There were signs this week that that might be coming – when Izzo said he just needed to find Xavier Booker as the right partner (Ohio State's Felix Okpara is a good one), and even more so when Booker spent extended periods of time in practice and with played the starters.
The question now is whether Booker will stay in the starting lineup and play those kinds of minutes in MSU's next game, next Saturday at Mackey Arena against Zach Edey and Purdue. While this may seem like a terrible matchup, it's not a good one for either of MSU's big men. Booker at least provides some length and quickness on the second rebound, forcing defenders on the offensive end of the court to pick him up at the 3-point line. I can't imagine Purdue wanting to do that with Edey.
3. Booker launch means new rotations and different roles
It's a one-game sample size, so it's hard to say what Booker's start means for MSU's other big men and rotation role players. But there's definitely a trickle-down effect with Booker playing an expanded role.
Interestingly, Sissoko, who lost his starting role, was the least affected. He played a lot and played better than he has in weeks – there is a connection there. Sissoko had four points and six rebounds in 16 minutes. He also looked more relaxed.
However, Carson Cooper only played seven minutes. Without foul trouble in the first half there might have been a few more, but at least in this game his role had diminished. Coen Carr only played seven minutes, with Booker likely getting a few of his minutes at power forward.
One of the challenges of introducing a new starter so late is the way rotations and roles change, and that showed. And there were some clunky lineups that didn't help. But that's not why MSU lost. The Spartans battled through and held a 12-point lead well into the second half. They stopped scoring and didn't go back to the one big man spreading the space.
Contact Graham Couch at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @Graham_Couch.