On Saturday, there was a lot of basketball by a lot of players. The seniors led, the juniors battled, the sophomores shined, and all of them contributed. 

But in a game that was so important for the Michigan State basketball program, it was the Spartan freshmen that made the biggest difference. Their efforts and toughness lifted MSU past Illinois 85-82 in a classic heavyweight bout against two of the Big Ten’s best. 

“Both of my freshmen played really well,”MSU head coach Tom Izzo said. “When you look at their stats, they both did a heck of a job in a big time environment. I was proud of both of them. [Todays game] was a building block for Cam Ward, and it was a building block for Jordan Scott.”

Contributions by the Spartan freshmen are nothing new. Forward Cam Ward has been an interior presence that teams have struggled to adjust to, and despite a hand injury that delayed his development, he has been a consistent contributor who’s given MSU meaningful minutes on the court. Like Ward, guard Jordan Scott has made a similar impact, playing with resounding energy and defensive aggression. As of late, he’s been so reliable that he has earned a starting role at the two spot.

Against Illinois, Ward and Scott made the difference between victory and defeat. They were defensive weapons, reliable options on offense and played with a passion that fit the energy of the building. 

It began early. With 16:55 in the first half, Scott took an elbow to the head while going for a loose ball. Immediately following, he was removed from the game and taken to the locker room with a towel over his face. Izzo would state after the game that Scott suffered a cut over his right eye and received surgical glue to close the wound. Three minutes following Scott’s departure, he returned to the game where he made his presence felt, hitting a jump shot seconds after he subbed in. 

For the remainder of the game, Scott played with a white bandage just above his right eye. It served as a testament to the energy and grit he played with; he never showed fatigue, he laid his body on the line for loose balls, he was a consistent scorer and played his best defensive game of the year. 

Scott’s primary assignment for much of the game was Illinois guard Keaton Wagler — an offensive machine who averages 18.1 points per game and once scored 46 against a ranked Purdue squad. Against Scott and the Spartans, the likely Big Ten Freshman of the Year was effectively shut down. Wagler struggled to find driving lanes and couldn’t get going from beyond the arc, finishing just 2-for-16 from the field.

Scott played a big role in these missed shots. He stuck to Wagler’s hip, contested shots and was a presence that the Illinois freshman couldn’t handle. To finish the game, the Fighting Illini’s best player would end up scoring 16 points, most of which came in late game scenarios. 

“We did what we had to do, and that was contain Wagler,” Izzo said. “Scott did a very good job on [Wagler]. And what [made that happen] is he has a sense of urgency. That’s why I ended up starting him, because of his sense of urgency. This kid has really defended. He gets loose balls. He’s making shots.”