Tom Izzo wasn't particularly happy with any of his players following MSU's loss to Boston College on Wednesday, and sophomore forward Marquise Gray was responsible for a large part of the coach's ire.
Gray played only nine minutes, scoring one point and grabbing two rebounds. Izzo said Gray wasn't giving a good effort on defense and that the Spartans couldn't run an offense when he was on the floor.
The 6-foot-8, 235-pound Gray went a long way toward redeeming himself with an outstanding defensive performance against Bradley on Sunday. He blocked four shots and challenged countless others as the Spartans defeated the Braves, 82-53, at Breslin Center.
Gray came off the bench with 16:55 remaining in the first half and immediately went to work. He found sophomore guard Travis Walton for a wide open 3-pointer, then got back on defense and blocked a layup attempt by Bradley guard Jeremy Crouch.
The Braves tried to go inside again a few possessions later, but Gray once again swatted the shot back in the shooter's face.
"I'm getting my quickness back and my jumping ability," said Gray, who is recovering from a broken foot. "I felt real fresh. I got a good night's sleep and came here focused and ready to play."
MSU jumped out to a 15-5 lead, but the Braves caught fire from the perimeter and tied the score at 19 with 5:20 left in the first half. MSU halted Bradley's momentum and closed the half with a 10-2 run to take a 29-21 lead at the break.
"Those three or four possessions might be the best we've played defensively — ever," Izzo said.
The tough defense never let up — the teams traded baskets to start the second half, but the Spartans put a lid on the hoop and went on a 25-3 tear. Freshman forward Raymar Morgan, junior center Drew Naymick and sophomore center Idong Ibok joined Gray in challenging every shot the Braves attempted in the paint.
Gray (11 points, four rebounds) might have been the Spartans' defensive player of the game, but Walton — a stellar defender in his own right — led the Green and White charge on offense. He hit all three of his 3-point attempts and finished with career-highs in points (15) and assists (nine).
Walton said he worked tirelessly during the summer to improve his offensive game — and it's starting to pay off. During the Spartans' last three games, Walton averaged 11.3 points per contest.
"Every day, I took 500 to 1,000 shots," Walton said.
Izzo compared Walton's work ethic to that of former Spartans Jason Richardson and Chris Hill.
"He took some good shots, some step-in shots, and I was really happy to see him get nine assists," Izzo said.
Junior guard Drew Neitzel had 20 points — the fourth time in five games he has reached or surpassed that mark.
The Spartans (7-2) face Indiana Purdue-Fort Wayne on Wednesday. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.
