No. 6 Michigan State gets its first real quick turnaround of the season Thursday night, and Tom Izzo’s group will try to build on the kind of opening statement that turns heads early in November.
The Spartans rolled past Quinnipiac 96-59 on Monday, a wire-to-wire performance that looked every bit like a team living up to its ranking. Izzo still said there’s more work to do, but Michigan State wasted no time showing a sharper, deeper version of itself than the one that opened last season with a 19-point win over Colgate. This time, the margin was 37.
Antone Bonke was one of the biggest early stories from that opener, posting his first career double-double as a Spartan and quieting any questions about what he can bring. Jeremy Fears Jr. did what Michigan State fans are likely to see plenty more of this season by leading the team in both scoring and assists.
Bonke, Coen Carr and Jordan Scott finished as the team’s top three rebounders, while Kur Teng paced the Spartans in made three-pointers. More than anything, Michigan State avoided the kind of slow start fans had gotten used to seeing.
The energy was there from the opening tip, and it stayed there.
Toledo arrives in East Lansing after a one-point loss of its own, falling 71-70 to Arkansas State in a game that came down to the final shot. The Rockets may be 0-1, but this is not a program that folds easily. Toledo has finished with a winning record in each of the past nine seasons, and that track record is part of what makes this matchup more interesting than a typical early-season tune-up.
Mynor Strong led the Rockets with 18 points in the opener, while Jaylon Ouwinga added 16 points and grabbed a team-high 14 rebounds. That rebounding effort could matter again here, especially with Toledo likely trying to use Ouwinga’s size to make life difficult on the glass against Michigan State.
Still, the Spartans look built to control this one. Toledo should make things uncomfortable for stretches, and the first half could be tighter than plenty of people expect. But Michigan State’s depth and momentum should take over after that.
Michigan State 85, Toledo 65.
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