Three takeaways from Michigan State’s Battle 4 Atlantis win over Loyola Chicago

Michigan State

In a photo provided by Bahamas Visual Services, Michigan State's Marcus Bingham Jr. (30) celebrates with teammates after making the game-winning basket against Loyola-Chicago in an NCAA college basketball game at Paradise Island, Bahamas, Wednesday, Nov. 24, 2021. (Tim Aylen/Bahamas Visual Services via AP)AP

Here’s what we learned about Michigan State in its 63-61 win over Loyola on Wednesday:

Raise the ceiling on Malik Hall

The first time this year Michigan State needed a player to take charge and lead it back in a game it should win, the player who did so was perhaps one that wasn’t the most expected.

Malik Hall went a perfect 9-for-9 from the field (plus 5-for-5 from the free throw line) and hit six second-half shots against Loyola as part of a career-best 24 points.

With point guards struggling, Gabe Brown in foul trouble and Max Christie having a freshman game, Hall took charge in a way we haven’t seen him do before.

In two games as a starter, Hall has now scored 39 total points. He’s made it obvious that he needs to be in the lineup over Joey Hauser for the time being and be the team’s primary power forward.

One of the biggest questions facing this team has been who would be “the guy” for a team that didn’t have an obvious one. Wednesday’s game made it clear that Hall is an option to be just that.

Bingham’s rim protection

After holding Loyola to 37 percent shooting, Michigan State is now No. 2 in the country in defensive efficiency, per Kenpom.com.

Give Marcus Bingham Jr. plenty of credit for that number by continuing the elite rim protection we’ve seen all season. He set the tone early with three blocks on Loyola’s first three shots and finished with a career-best seven swats.

Yet Bingham’s effect on the game goes far beyond his shot-blocking numbers. His presence down low helps Michigan State press up on perimeter shooters, knowing that if they get blown by on a drive they still have Bingham to quickly slide in front of that driver and protect the hoop. Bingham might not have defended the 3-point line, but he certainly played a role in Loyola shooting 10 percentage point from 3-point range lower than its season average.

Izzo called that rim protection an “undervalued commodity”, and compared what Bingham’s done this season to what Jaren Jackson Jr. did in his lone season at Michigan State. His job will get harder when the Spartans face bigger teams, but Michigan State couldn’t ask for much more defensively than what Bingham’s providing right now.

Sloppy, sloppy, sloppy

Michigan State isn’t going to win many more games when it turns the ball over 20 times. Even more worrisome is that nine of those turnovers came from its point guards, who are implored more than anyone else to take care of the ball. More than one in every five Spartans’ possessions are now ending in turnovers this season, a number that simply can’t stay that high if Michigan State is going to be successful this year.

That has to be priority number one in a short turnaround for the Spartans. There are teams in Atlantis with the Spartans who utilize the press, and you can bet they’ll be licking their chops to do so in an attempt to throw this Spartans team into further havoc.


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