Michigan State redshirt freshman Jeremy Fears Jr. (1) drives to the net during the game played against the University of Nebraska held at the Breslin Center on Dec. 7, 2024.
Almost a year ago in December 2023, MSU men’s basketball lost 77-70 on the road to Nebraska, dropping to 4-5 overall and 0-2 in conference play after beginning the season as a top five team.
On Saturday, head coach Tom Izzo and the Spartans trounced the Cornhuskers 89-52 at Breslin Center for their most lopsided victory of the season, improving to 8-2 overall and 2-0 in conference play.
What a difference a year can make in college basketball.
This time around, the Cornhuskers didn't have a three-level scorer and sharpshooter like Keisei Tominaga. They didn't have Reink Mast, their trusted big man who had eight points, 14 rebounds and six assists in the game last December and underwent season-ending knee surgery this summer.
But as they did at Minnesota Wednesday, the Spartans handled business and controlled the game from start to finish, never trailing and continuing to show the Big Ten and the rest of college basketball they can be a consistent threat in several facets.
"These guys have done a lot of things we asked them this summer," Izzo said postgame. "And right now, we're making some progress."
Through ten games, MSU has improved in many areas of weakness from last season, notably its rebounding and half-court offense. Its beatdown of Nebraska was defined by a staggering 29-rebound differential in MSU’s favor and a 22-for-23 effort from the free-throw line. There was little to no wasted ball movement by the Spartans, who assisted 20 times on 29 made shots, had a 17-3 advantage in paint points and an 18-7 edge scoring on the break.
In the loss to the Cornhuskers last December, the Spartans shot 8-for-9 from the free-throw line and scored just nine bench points. On Saturday, they went 22-for-23 from the charity stripe and scored 43 bench points.
MSU’s depth again showed through as its bench outscored Nebraska’s bench 43-22. All ten MSU rotation players logged at least 14 minutes and scored at least four points. Izzo’s lineup experimentation continued. 6-foot-7 forward Frankie Fidler played minutes in the backcourt next to freshman guard Jace Richardson. Junior center Carson Cooper logged 17 minutes, his most in a game since Nov. 25.
Every player has bought into the rotation and substitution patterns, Izzo said, which has translated into a cohesive and sometimes clinical offensive attack.
Senior guard Jaden Akins scored a game-high 18 points on 4-for-8 shooting beyond the arc, with Richardson trailing close behind with 16 points. Sophomore guard Jeremy Fears Jr. dished out eight assists. Junior forward Jaxon Kohler grabbed 12 rebounds. Sophomore forward Xavier Booker put up 11 points and six boards.
"30 points of the bench, guys, in nine out of ten games is almost incredible," Izzo said. "Really is a plus — strength in numbers."
MSU jumped out to an early 7-0 lead, which the Cornhuskers quickly erased. Then, as Nebraska went on a four-minute scoring drought and put MSU in the bonus with over eight minutes left in the first half, the Spartans took control. They led by 10 at halftime and busted the game wide open shortly after, throwing a haymaker early in the second half. The Cornhuskers did not respond well, head coach Fred Hoiberg said postgame.
After a slew of transition buckets and converted looks from three, MSU looked up and saw it had a 26-point lead. Less than six minutes later, that became a 39-point lead. Breslin Center was electric, and a game that was out of reach became out of hand for Nebraska.
Akins' 18 points was another sign that he's ready to shoulder the load of being MSU's primary scorer and leader. Izzo repeatedly expressed his hope for his senior guard to step into that role over the summer and offered some reflection after the win on Saturday.
"I think Jaden is gonna be our go-to guy," Izzo said. "Everybody needs one. And he sure has worked to earn that spot. Now he's gotta play that spot."
The Spartans have displayed palpable tenacity in their play over the past three games and have started to look like the MSU of old: the physical, rebounding, running team that doesn’t care what opponents are doing to stop it.
"Obviously there's room for improvement, but I think we're in a really good spot," Booker said.
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MSU has won six of its last seven contests and will have 10 days off before making its biannual trip to Little Caesars Arena in Detroit to face Oakland University, led by head coach Greg Kampe, a team that turned heads in the college basketball world last spring with an upset of Kentucky in the NCAA Tournament’s first round.
The Grizzlies don’t return many faces from that squad but are usually a pesky bunch. MSU will close out 2024 with Oakland, Florida Atlantic and Western Michigan, with the opportunity to start 11-2.
MSU and Oakland will tip off at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 17 at Little Caesars Arena. ESPN2 will air the game.
