Couch: Miles Bridges' biggest impact is on the rest of MSU's roster
EAST LANSING – Miles Bridges might have had nothing to do with Wednesday’s outcome. Rutgers has a way of making it impossible to tell.
But he will affect outcomes. You could see that much during Michigan State’s 93-65 stress-free win over the Scarlet Knights.
It’s the trickle-down on the rest of the roster that’s already noticeable as he finds his sea legs. The Spartans’ lineups look that much more imposing, somehow even when he’s not in the game.
The guys Bridges was supposed to be relegating to the bench played four inches taller. Matt Van Dyk, for heaven’s sake, had a career-high seven points and played like he belonged among actual big men. Kyle Ahrens, who’s struggled at times with confidence, took three steely nerved 3-pointers, making one.
Mostly, though, the two guys who’ve struggled mightily trying to be leading men in Bridges’ seven-game absence — senior Eron Harris and sophomore Matt McQuaid — looked oh-so natural sliding back into complementary roles.
Harris, who scored a total of nine-points against Minnesota and Northwestern, put up a Big Ten-career-best 24, efficiently making 7 of 12 shots, 5 of 8 3s and all five free-throws.
McQuaid, who totaled 13 points in MSU’s last four games combined, scored 12 in this one. Like Harris, he looked good doing it, making 4 of 6 shots, 2 of 3 triples and both free throws. He pumped-fake to create his shot, pumped his fist a couple times and scored the sort of guarded layup he’s been missing.
McQuaid and Harris don’t necessarily see the effect on themselves. That’s not how this works. But they see Bridges’ versatility, his energy.
“He brings a lot to the table,” McQuaid said.
His swagger, as much as anything, permeates the roster.
“I can feel that,” Bridges said.
“As a team, we’ve just been pushing (Harris), pushing Matt McQuaid,” MSU’s 6-foot-7 freshman star continued. “They can’t be nervous, because if they can shoot the ball, they can shoot the ball. I don’t think Eron missed a shot today. I think he’s going to be rolling from here on out, him and Matt McQuaid.”
Midway through the second half, MSU coach Tom Izzo put his four freshmen on the court with Harris. Within seconds, Bridges kicked the ball out to Harris who, in rhythm, buried a 3-pointer from the right wing.
Izzo has taken to talking about his team in terms of Batman characters — Batman, Robin, the butler and so forth. Harris is a Robin. Bridges is a Batman. But Harris doesn’t realize it unless Bridges is playing.
“It sounds stupid, but Batman, Robin and the other guy and the other guy, and all of a sudden guys have to move up, and Miles is a Batman type of guy,” Izzo said after his team moved to 3-0 in the Big Ten, 11-5 overall. “He doesn’t care. He was happy what he scored, he was happy with what he did, but he’s not scared of anything. He’s not nervous about things. He just played. So then everybody else can get back to a little bit more the norm and I thought that helped a little bit.”
This trickle-down effect on MSU also had an effect on its opponent.
“Obviously, they have a lot of weapons,” first-year Rutgers coach Steve Pikiell said. “When their veteran guys chip in like that, it makes it real difficult to take away anything.”
Bridges just existing is worth 20 points, if you consider the performances of Harris and McQuaid, who Pikiell thought his team defended adequately.
Bridges, who suffered a high-ankle sprain on Nov. 29 at Duke, looked rusty but still like the high-flying athlete he is. In 17 minutes, he scored six points, grabbed six rebounds, blocked two shots and dunked twice — both alley-oops, one over 6-foot-9 Rutgers freshman Issa Thiam that brought a lethargic and small-ish crowd to life.
Bridges returned to a better MSU team. But make no mistake, he is the lifeblood of this roster.
Contact Graham Couch at gcouch@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @Graham_Couch.