Sophomore forward Gavin Schilling fights for the ball Feb. 17, 2015, at the start of the game against Michigan at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor. The Spartans defeated the Wolverines 80-67. Emily Nagle/The State News
MSU needs its top three players to perform well on a nightly basis but don’t be too quick to overlook sophomore forward Gavin Schilling’s importance.
Schilling’s numbers can stem from the play of his guards and the other players feeding him the ball, but when he does get going offensively, he’s proven his value to MSU. After scoring 10 points in Tuesday night’s rivalry win over Michigan, the Spartans improved to 7-0 when Schilling reaches double-figures.
For the early part of the season, Schilling was one of the brightest spots on a struggling MSU team. His post game had drastically improved from last season and his raw athleticism put him in position for most rebounds. As a starter since Nov. 30, he and junior forward Matt Costello gave MSU an unexpected punch from the post.
In the five games leading up to Tuesday night’s matchup with Michigan, Schilling had not been the same player, posting more fouls (18) than points (12). As Schilling struggled, it appeared as though Costello might work his way back into the starting lineup.
Schilling maintained his confidence heading into MSU’s second meeting with U-M and managed to keep his composure on what could have been an imposing stage.
“Especially since they’re our rivals, I needed to come out and play good in order for us to win,” Schilling said. “That’s what I did tonight, I just kind of had that mentality that I was gonna have a good game and let the game come to me. In the past few games, I kind of rushed it, I kind of did too much. I let the game come to me tonight and it was successful.”
It was indeed a successful outing, as Schilling made all five of his shots. The Spartan forwards outmuscled the Wolverines throughout the second half, and U-M just couldn’t match MSU’s physicality and strength.
Izzo credited his assistants for Schilling’s play. He called the sophomore forward “the most improved guy” for the first two months of the season, but also mentioned that he thought Schilling had regressed the most over the last three weeks. He credited his coaching staff for Schilling’s turnaround Tuesday night.
“And we did bring him in and sat down with him and, he was one-handed rebounding everything and I don’t know why,” Izzo said. “Tonight he went up and got two-handed rebounds, and then he got some put-backs. So I give my assistants credit on that, they did a good job.”
The smear on Schilling’s game, however, was the foul column. He fouled out with about three minutes left in the second half.
“It’s bad timing I guess,” Schilling said. “Sometimes, I get late positioning and that causes me to get a foul.”
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