“I was feeling good,” Goins said after that game. “This is kind of like that day you’ve been looking forward to for your whole life. I’m a senior now, it’s my last time being here, and I kind of just rode that momentum.”

MSU coach Tom Izzo has called Goins the unsung hero of the team. A look at his game log reveals that he has not needed the ball to be effective, instead grabbing rebounds and defending at a high level. 

He had tremendous responsibility Feb. 24, as the main rebounder with Tillman switched out onto guards when Michigan ran high ball screens. After MSU allowed eight offensive rebounds in the first half, Michigan grabbed only three in the second half thanks to Goins’ adjustment and execution.

“It was hard because they would switch me onto the guard, then the guard that I was guarding was shooting, so it would be hard for me to get the rebound,” Tillman said. “Instead, we just had to make a switch where Kenny would help down there and get rebounds, and that showed; he had 11 rebounds in the game. We made a switch where I’m still gonna switch onto the guard, but Kenny is gonna crash hard.” 

This performance, on the road, was the latest in a string of shining moments for Goins. He scored 12 points in another tough road environment, at Wisconsin, Feb. 12, including the back-breaking three-pointer with 36 seconds remaining.

Goins is fourth in the conference in rebounding, at 9.1 per game. Since junior forward Nick Ward suffered a hairline fracture in his left hand, increasing Goins’ rebounding responsibility, he has responded to the challenge, upping his average to 11 boards.

He has come a long way from his freshman season of 2015-16, where he scored only two points in 10 minutes of average action per game. Izzo says his progress this year has been the most striking.

“I’m not sure I’ve had anybody who has grown as much in a season,” Izzo said Feb. 26. “He’s grown in a season, he’s become a little tougher. He’s become a consistent rebounder. He’s become a very good defender, I don’t think he gets the credit for that. Most of all, what’s easiest to see, he’s become a fairly reliable shooter. That’s an easy one to see. The other ones are more difficult to see.” 

There is a stereotype that goes along with being a former walk-on. They must be gritty, not the most athletically gifted, but a workaholic who pushes themselves to become their best possible version.

Izzo says that in many ways, Goins is just scratching the surface because he wasn’t always in the gym until recently.

“He’s always liked (basketball). I think we’ve moved him up to loving it. There’s still a little room in there for living it,” Izzo said. “We got, who knows, two weeks, three weeks, four weeks, left. I’m gonna press upon him. It’s easier when you’ve had some success to keep growing, that’s just human. So, today, I’m hoping the love turns into live.” 

With three games remaining in the regular season, the Spartans are in a tie for first place in the Big Ten with Purdue, even after losing Ward and junior guard Joshua Langford to long-term injuries. 

Winston was named Big Ten Player of the Week for the fifth time this season Monday and is the frontrunner to win the yearly award in April. But, Izzo says, the team is not in this position without the play of their undersized, former walk-on big man.

Izzo was asked last week about how important Goins was to this team.

“I got a lot of people saving my bacon, brother, and Kenny is one of them.”