Travis Trice — senior guard #20
Trice is a senior captain who is starting to take things into his own hands. As the floor general, he’s averaging a team-high 14.3 points and 6.1 assists per game, and he can knock down shots from NBA range if he needs to. On Jan. 8, he torched Iowa with seven 3-pointers and carried his team to an early, yet crucial Big Ten win. Trice has taken tremendous care of the ball en route to a 4-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio.
Bryn Forbes — junior guard #5
Forbes is a sharpshooting junior transfer from Cleveland State. A high school teammate of Denzel Valentine, Forbes is shooting 46.8 percent from 3-point range this year. He is a terrific asset to have when teams matchup in a zone defensively, something teams across the Big Ten have toyed with this year. Defensively, Izzo would still like to see him improve. At times he is a liability on the court, and if he can sure up his defensive play, he will be an important factor in MSU’s pursuit of success.
Denzel Valentine — junior guard #45
A captain, Valentine has been an all-around force on the floor. After spending much of the offseason working on his shot, his numbers have jumped significantly this year. His field goal percentage has jumped five percent (45.0) and his 3-point efficiency has increased almost 10 percent (46.2). Although MSU’s roster has been faced with injuries and illnesses over the past two seasons, Valentine is the one constant, having started every game in that span. With that being said, Valentine has been under the weather recently, and against Northwestern, Izzo said that Valentine looked “out of it.”
Branden Dawson — senior guard/forward #22
Dawson decided to pass on the NBA last season and come back for his senior year, and so far, we’ve seen flashes of a future pro. His authoritative dunks have livened crowds, his tenacious defense has already contained some of the Big Ten’s best players and his individual rebounding numbers are tops in the league. Dawson scored his 1,000th career point against Eastern Michigan but injured his left wrist in the same game. He missed two games with the injury and has since been playing with a brace. According to Dawson, the brace will be off for this Saturday’s rematch with Maryland. As the season progresses, Dawson will need to improve at the free-throw line, where he is currently shooting just 37.5 percent.
Gavin Schilling — sophomore forward #34
Schilling’s athleticism and raw talent were evident throughout his freshman year, but this season he’s putting the pieces together. He looks much more comfortable on the court and has even developed a nice jump hook shot in the post. He is also second in the Big Ten in field goal percentage, shooting just under 68 percent. One of MSU’s largest concerns this year is free throw shooting, and Schilling is contributing to this problem. The big man is shooting just 46.5 percent from the line.
Matt Costello — junior forward #10
Costello was a starter at the beginning of the season, but after getting into early foul trouble in games, Izzo decided to bring him off the bench. Costello has embraced his role, and throughout December he scored in double figures in five straight games, including a career-high 17 points in a loss to Texas Southern. Izzo also said that Costello looked “out of it” against Northwestern and said that the junior would be tested for illness.
Marvin Clark Jr. — freshman forward #0
Izzo called Clark the strongest player on the team before the season, and at times his strength and athleticism have been on full display. In the upset loss to Texas Southern, Clark did not play in the second half because he wasn’t “dialed in” and lacked attentiveness, said Izzo. After the benching, he responded with 12 points in a victory against The Citadel. His minutes have been down since the Big Ten season began, but he is always a three-point threat on the floor.
