Andre Hutson said he was proud of the wave of different players who contributed in Sunday’s 81-65 win over Fresno State.
With five Spartan guards - Charlie Bell, Jason Richardson, David Thomas, Mike Chappell and Marcus Taylor - combining for 50 points, 13 assists and 28 rebounds, that wave was more like a typhoon.
“I think our guys were just a little more focused in this game and that’s what we asked them to do,” MSU head coach Tom Izzo said of the Spartans’ guard play.
“Our execution on both ends of the floor was better than it has been all year.”
The Spartans’ backcourt was challenged early by the Bulldogs, who set up a trapping defense that forced ball-handlers Taylor and Bell to keep their poise and distribute the ball effectively.
Taylor, who had 11 points and only one turnover, said he’s getting more confident in his playmaking ability.
“I’m starting to get used to the pressure,” the freshman said of his second career NCAA Tournament game. “Charlie and I knew that it would be important to move the ball quickly down the floor and get everyone involved in the offense.”
Taylor and Bell were able to command the tempo of the game, connecting on open jump shots while also dumping the ball off quickly downcourt.
“Their trapping defense slowed us down a little bit,” Taylor said of the Bulldogs’ aggressive style.
“But I think we were able to wear them out late in the game since we were constantly pushing the ball down the court.”
Two main ingredients that jump-started the Spartans - who struggled early against a 2-3 zone in their win over Alabama State on Friday - were the rebounding of senior Thomas and the rejuvenated offense of Bell, who had a team-high 13 points.
Thomas, who was able to worm his way into the paint past the likes of 6-foot-10, 256-pound center Melvin Ely, said he knew it would be an all-out effort to fight for the ball. Ely proved to be a force, scoring 10 of his 17 points in the second half.
“I really think I played with a lot of energy and that was definitely key in getting so many rebounds,” said Thomas, who had 14 rebounds. “I knew I had to go to the glass hard since many of our big guys had their hands full with Ely.”
With newfound confidence in his shot, Bell said he is starting to get more confident in his scoring ability.
“I didn’t get down on myself when I missed shots in past games,” he said. “I felt more confident out there; hopefully I can keep playing well.”
Hutson said Thomas’ performance in the win spoke volumes about MSU and its quest for a second straight title.
“David was everywhere tonight,” the senior forward said. “We also had a lot of other guys that stepped up and played well. Having all our different lineups step up is what we need to do to win another championship.”
