MSU's Defense Has Been on Another Level
The Michigan State Spartans' men's basketball team is on a tear as of late, extending its winning streak to four straight games after defeating the Oakland Golden Grizzlies on Tuesday.
While MSU's offense has been the focal point for fans this season, the defense and defensive stars have carried the team in a strong way.
Currently sitting as the second ranked team in the Big Ten in average amount of rebounds per game with 41.9, just under Illinois Fighting Illinis' 45.6. The Spartans also rank fourth in the conference when it comes to the average amount of blocks per game, ending their battle with Oakland sitting at a 4.8 average.
While Michigan State doesn't crack the top five when it comes to average points allowed in a game, the defense has still been one to be reckoned with, sitting seventh in the conference, with an average of 67.4 points a game scored by their opponents.
One of the key contributors on defense this season has been junior forward Jaxon Kohler. Kohler is tied for fifth in the Big Ten in average rebounds per game with 8.5. In MSU's last three games, Kohler has posted 33 rebounds, averaging 11 in that stretch. On the season, he leads the team with 93 total rebounds, with the next closest being senior center Szymon Zapala, with 56 rebounds.
When it comes to the blocking portion of MSU's game, Zapala, Kohler and sophomore forward Xavier Booker lead the way for the team. Zapala has averaged one block a game, Kohler has averaged 0.9 blocks per game and Booker averages 0.8 blocks per game. MSU's blocking has been a key factor in its defensive success.
In its win over Oakland, MSU, as a whole, turned in a season-high 51 rebounds, 31 of them being on defense, as well as a season-high 11 blocks, which included a career-high six from Zapala and three from Kohler. When it comes to looking at MSU's success early on in the season, look no further than Zapala and Kohler.
While MSU still struggles when it comes to its 3-point efficiency, other areas of the game have excelled and have led the team to more wins than fans likely had expected at this point in the year.
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Dominic Minchella holds a communications degree from Eastern Michigan University. He is a former MLB writer and joins our team ad an NFL/College team reporter on Sports Illustrated