The forward has transitioned in and out of coach Tom Izzo’s starting lineup on two separate occasions this season.

Henry, who is averaging 14 points a game this season, entered his junior year with high expectations after exploring NBA potential during the offseason, but he hit a slump at the beginning of Big Ten play, going two consecutive games without hitting a three and shooting 30% against Minnesota. 

But in his performance against Nebraska, one that saw the junior score a career-high 27 points, something clicked within the Indianapolis native’s mind.

“It’s not just one thing," Henry said Tuesday evening. "I try to be a complete player. That’s the thing that I try to be most that’s what goes on in my mind, doing everything that I feel like I can.”

Izzo said that since Henry came to MSU it has been his father and coaching staff constantly pushing him to improve.

His potential was always there, but it would take an extra shove to make him show it through the solace that Henry often reflects on the outside.

But that's not the case anymore. 

“Now he’s starting to be self-motivated, and that’s the difference between good and great I think,” Izzo said of Henry’s newfound mindset. “When you want to do things for yourself it’s always better than doing them for somebody else, and I just think that’s the maturity and that’s the growth. I’m not ready to canonize it yet because it’s been a couple of games, but I think there’s a real comfort level now that I have a base to go back to and say, ‘Hey this is why you’re playing better.’”

Over the past two games, Henry has scored a combined 47 points off 18-for-29 shooting overall. Defensively, he’s snatched 12 rebounds combined in his last two matches, while also getting four blocked shots against Rutgers.

Ironically the past two games in which Henry shined have also been the first and only two conference wins for the squad this season.

Henry’s playing at a bar that he has always been capable of, it just took him time to get there, or as Izzo put it Henry is going through "the process."

“It’s really sad because it’s probably been the norm for … the last 10 years it’s that instant gratification, everybody needs someone to be so good, so quick and he’s really going through the process,” Izzo said of Henry’s work. “... We’re just such a fast-twitched society right now everybody wants it but I think he’s growing up, he’s maturing. I think he’s starting to understand. I think he’s starting to trust people more.”

As the Big Ten season progresses and MSU men’s hoops looks to throw themselves right back into the mix after starting 0-3 in the conference, Henry’s focus is simple: control what he can control.

“I only can control what I can control, and that’s staying in the gym day and night,” Henry said. “I try to do that as much as I can, and that includes film as well and just practicing my approach and having all attention on just bettering myself.”