Fast forward to the NCAA Tournament, which begins on March 21, and things look wildly different. 

Langford is out for the season after suffering a stress injury in his left foot Dec. 29 against Northern Illinois.

Ahrens has battled back injuries all season, but was not ruled out until a scary ankle injury sustained March 17 in the Big Ten tournament final against Michigan. Ahrens was in a great deal of pain, and many feared that the ankle was broken, but X-rays were negative and the diagnosis is a bad sprain. Either way, MSU coach Tom Izzo said he will not play in the tournament barring “some miracle cream.”

Izzo acknowledged at his press conference Monday what a huge loss Ahrens was for MSU’s tournament hopes. 

“Everyone feels comfortable with Kyle in the game, that he knows what he’s doing,” Izzo said. “So we’re probably gonna have to reinvent it today.” 

Where will the depth at the wing spot come from now? Ahrens was giving Henry a bit of a break when he suffered the injury at the 4:34 mark of the first half against Michigan. After Henry was re-inserted at the moment of the injury, he and McQuaid were not taken out for the remainder of the game. 

Henry has started all but one game since the Jan. 13 win over Penn State and McQuaid has started every game he has been healthy for this season. With Langford and Ahrens unavailable for the tournament, Izzo will be forced to go deep into his bench to give the two wing players some relief.

“What do we do at the (small forward position)?” Izzo said. “Gabe is going to get some looks. We could put Kenny (Goins, a senior forward that has not played at small forward  this season) there some. He’s capable of playing there. So it’ll be another let’s-see-what-we-can do.”

Brown, the freshman from Ypsilanti, did not play in the Big Ten final. His career high in minutes, 22, came March 5 against Nebraska in a game where Ahrens did not play in, but the stakes then were quite different than they will be in the NCAA Tournament.

“That gave me a little more comfort out there, especially on the defensive end,” Brown said. “I feel like I picked things up that game and it translated into getting better and better in practice.”

At this point, however, Brown is the only scholarship wing left on the bench. He will have an expanded role in the biggest games of the season.

“Whenever I get in, I want to show the coaches I can go out there and compete,” Brown said. “Do the things I can do offensively and defensively, and show the whole world that I’m ready to play.”

Brown said Ahrens gave him a pep-talk Monday.

“He just said, ‘Be prepared to step up.’ He always had faith in me ever since day one,” Brown said. “He taught me the ropes of the game.” 

When Brown plays, he said he wants to emulate Ahrens’ defense. Brown has been criticized publicly and privately by the coaching staff for not being an engaged defender during practice and his infrequent game action.

“Off the ball stuff, I’d say that was the main thing (to work on),” Brown said. “Coming in, I’m thinking ‘I’m so long, I’m athletic’, I’m thinking ‘I’m gonna come in and just block some shots’ (Brown is listed at 6-foot-7). But it’s really a process.”

With junior forward Nick Ward back from a hand injury, after returning March 15 against Ohio State, the rotation is supported up at the big spots. Ward will rotate with Goins and sophomore forward Xavier Tillman, with freshman Thomas Kithier making occasional appearances in case of foul trouble. 

Freshman point guard Foster Loyer made his biggest contributions of the season during the conference tournament, scoring a career-high 14 points in the quarterfinal against Ohio State. Loyer gives Izzo a competent option behind Big Ten Player of the Year Cassius Winston. 

The only question now remains how much of a spark Brown can provide. McQuaid and Henry both played career highs in minutes against Michigan. As Izzo said in his press conference, players get less effective when they’re overworked. 

“I gotta pick up the pieces where (Ahrens) left off,” Brown said. “He did a lot of things for this team and been a warrior for this team, and I gotta do those things too.”

Brown’s career-high in points came Dec. 16 against Green Bay, when he scored 11. He is averaging two points per game. 

However, he said he is confident in his shot, which helped him become a four-star recruit out of Belleville High. 

“That’s something I’m never shy about. I’m confident in my shot, each shot I take. I love it.”

His mindset is crystal clear.

“Going into the tournament, I want to be as locked in as possible,” Brown said.

MSU is a 2-seed, opening the tournament in Des Moines, Iowa, against 15-seed Bradley Thursday at approximately 2:30 p.m.