Michigan State May Have a New Star
It wasn't pretty the whole way, but the Michigan State Spartans came away with their fourth straight win on Tuesday, defeating the Oakland Golden Grizzlies by a score of 77-58.
The first half was definitely rocky, as Michigan State led just 31-30 at the break, but the Spartans pulled away down the stretch for a double-digit victory.
In the process, Michigan State landed another impressive performance from budding star Xavier Booker.
Booker scored 11 of his career-high 18 points in the second half and also added six rebounds — four offensive — while shooting 5-of-9 from the floor and 3-of-5 from 3-point range.
It was just the latest eye-opening outing from the sophomore big man, who has logged four consecutive double-figure scoring efforts off the bench.
Booker's breakout performance came against the North Carolina Tar Heels in the Spartans' final game of the Maui Invitational when he went 5-for-6 to finish with 12 points in Michigan State's statement win.
Over this recent four-game stretch, the 6-foot-11 forward has drained three triples in two separate contests, displaying his ability to stretch the court.
Last year, his freshman season, Booker played in 27 games but had a very limited role, recording just 3.7 points and 1.7 boards over 9.2 minutes a night.
Booker's role has certainly been expanded this season, and it's becoming increasingly obvious that head coach Tom Izzo truly trusts him.
It is also becoming clear that Booker may have a future in the NBA, as his play style absolutely fits the prototype of the modern-day big man on the professional level.
But for now, the most important facet of Booker's rise is that it provides Michigan State with some much-needed depth, and now, one has to wonder if he will end up being favored over one of Jaxon Kohler or Szymon Zapala in the Spartans' frontcourt.
Earlier in the season, Booker was still just a depth piece, but he is gaining confidence fast, and he is making Michigan State a very scary opponent.
Yes, the Spartans are still a bit rough around the edges, which we saw for extended stretches against Oakland. But the more time passes, the more Michigan State is looking like a serious March Madness threat.
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