The Spartans followed their AP Top 25 Poll jump from No. 13 to No. 3 on Monday with an 89-65 victory over Eastern Michigan, in which 13 different players scored.
Head coach Tom Izzo said he is “still playing too many people,” though, and he hopes to solidify a consistent rotation soon.
“I think I played 12 guys who played seven minutes or more and that’s going to be a little chaotic but I am continuously trying to figure out who are going to be my eight, nine and 10 and who are going to be my 11, 12, 13 and 14,” Izzo said. “And it is starting to separate itself.”
The Spartans had five different players score in double digits and among them, only two played more than 20 minutes; senior guards Denzel Valentine (27 minutes) and Bryn Forbes (22 minutes).
Valentine finished with 12 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, while Forbes finished with 12 points on three-for-four shooting from the three-point line. Redshirt-junior Eron Harris played 20 minutes and rounded-out the guards who scored in double-digits with 10 points, seven rebounds and four assists.
Valentine, Forbes and Harris were the only three Spartans to play for 20 minutes or more for the second straight game.
“I think our guards are playing better because they know playing time is around the corner and as I say, ‘it’s always great as a coach when you don’t determine playing time and they do,’” Izzo said. “It’s kind of a fun feeling.”
The Spartans' victory over then-No. 4 Kansas on Nov. 17 was closer to what Izzo would like to see, as five players went for over 22 minutes.
The average playing time for the 14 MSU players who saw action on Monday was 14 minutes and to EMU head coach Rob Murphy, each of the Spartans were worthy of more.
“The first five is really good, when you get into their bench, they don’t lose anything when they make substitutions,” Murphy said. “They have a really good basketball team, I think their first ten guys are really good.
“They played like they were the No. 3 team in the country.”
A large part of why the Spartans are only two spots away from the AP No. 1 has been the addition of freshman Deyonta Davis to the team’s front court. Davis played 18 minutes tonight and tallied 16 points, five rebounds and five blocks.
“I was just trying to stay active,” Davis said.
Davis is averaging 8 points, 7.7 rebounds and three blocks in 21 minutes this season and has stepped up in the absence of junior forward Gavin Schilling.
Izzo said Schilling will not play in the team’s trip to the Wooden Legacy Tournament in California this week and he said Davis along with senior forward Matt Costello will need to play big in his absence.
The Spartans next game is against Boston College (3-0) on Thursday.
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