Michigan State's Dominance in Pivotal Area Spells Great News
The long layoff didn't seem to bother the Michigan State Spartans on Monday, as they routed the Western Michigan Broncos by a score of 80-62.
In the process, Michigan State shot an impressive 50 percent from the floor, getting 18 points from star guard Jaden Akins. Carson Cooper added a surprising 13 points off the bench.
But there was one area in particular where the Spartans were brilliant in this affair.
Free-throw shooting.
Michigan State went 20-for-22 from the charity stripe against Western Michigan, representing the club's latest stellar showing in that ever-important area.
The Spartans are shooting 81.3 percent from the line on the season, which ranks seventh in the country. They also rank 14th in makes per game, averaging 19.1 made foul shots a night.
Championship teams tend to make hay at the free-throw line, and that is exactly what Michigan State has been doing throughout the 2024-25 campaign.
Yes, the Spartans once again struggled from three-point range on Monday, going just 6-of-20 from downtown. That has been a lingering issue for Tom Izzo's squad all season long, and while it has improved in that category, it's still a running process.
But Michigan State has more than compensated for its lack of long-range marksmanship with some reliable free-throw shooting, which is a big reason why the Spartans are 11-2 with some very eye-opening wins on their resume.
Things are about to get a little tougher for Michigan State, as it is preparing to open Big Ten conference play on Jan. 3 with a matchup against the Ohio State Buckeyes.
The good news is that the Spartans don't currently play a ranked opponent until Jan. 19, when they face the Illinois Fighting Illini. But still, conference play is conference play, and none of these games will be easy.
Fortunately, Michigan State has been living at the stripe and has been taking full advantage of its opportunities in that area, which is more than most other teams in the Big Ten can say.
In fact, only the Wisconsin Badgers are shooting better from the foul line than the Spartans.
We'll see if Michigan State can ride its stable free-throw efficiency to a deep run in March.
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Matthew Schmidt is a sportswriter who covers NFL, MLB, NBA and college football and basketball. He has been writing professionally since 2011 and has also worked for Bleacher Report, FanRag Sports, ClutchPoints, NFLAnalysis.net and NBAAnalysis.net. He was born and raised in New Jersey and has a rather eclectic group of favorite teams: the Boston Celtics, New York Giants and Miami Marlins.