Couch: 3 quick takes on Michigan State's win over Southern Utah

Lansing State Journal columnist Graham Couch gives his initial thoughts on the Spartans’ 88-63 win over Southern Utah on Saturday night at Breslin Center.

1. Michigan State had to work to win — that ain’t all bad this month

A team like Michigan State gets very little out of an overwhelming 40-point blowout. With home dates against Houston Baptist, Long Beach State, Cleveland State and Savannah State still on the docket this month, a couple lopsided games are ahead — games that do almost nothing other than take up time and add a W to the overall record.

I thought Saturday night against Southern Utah might be one. The Thunderbirds, a 5-3 team out of the Big Sky Conference, were up to the task. They looked like they belonged on the same court as MSU, like they expected to compete. The Spartans had to work to pull away.

Props to Southern Utah, which didn’t want to leave this game with regret. If you haven’t been following previous Lansing State Journal coverage, the Thunderbirds are Todd Simon’s crew. Simon is from Fowler, Michigan, a little town 30 miles northwest of Lansing. He told me Friday, “People are starting to figure out we have some dudes.”

MORE:Couch: Todd Simon returns home with Southern Utah, gets a crack at Michigan State

In Year 2 under Simon, they do, from all over the place: Alaska, Croatia, Maryland, you name it. They have 6-foot-8 shooters like Jacob Calloway, enough length and sound guard play to hang in with a team that ran Notre Dame and Nebraska off the same court a week earlier. Calloway gave Jaren Jackson Jr. fits. Jackson hasn’t had to defend such a high release point on a 4-man who can play on the perimeter.

I don’t think the Spartans took this game lightly. It didn’t have that lethargic feel to it. We’ve all seen that game before. They just faced a team that saw this as their Super Bowl and put that much into it. 

MORE:Michigan State basketball continues win streak, beats Southern Utah, 88-63

2. All appears fine on the Nick Ward front

What happened with Nick Ward at Rutgers is why coaches shouldn’t hide players or situations from the media. It just stretches out storylines needlessly. Ward was upset he sat so much of the game Tuesday night. He said so. Izzo said he wasn’t happy with him. And, four days later, he started and scored 17 points and pulled down six rebounds in 21 minutes, and was a critical difference in a closer-than-expected game with Southern Utah. This game was 63-56 with less than 9 minutes remaining. 

Ward looked locked in from the get-go, moving his feet well on the perimeter, getting back on defense most of the time. He even hit his first career 3-pointer, as the shot clock ran out on a possession in the first half. Izzo, crouched near the bench, grinned as Ward ran back down the court.

The dance between Izzo and Ward will continue until Ward is consistently everything Izzo wants him to be. But Tuesday’s episode is over.

3. MSU’s block record will fall

It’s only a matter of time. MSU tied the program single-game mark with 13 on Tuesday at Rutgers. The Spartans had another 12 Saturday against Southern Utah. Jackson had five of those and came inches away from two or three more. That record is going to fall by the end of the month and likely a couple times more throughout the season. 

MSU has never had rim protection like this and never a player with such a length and a knack for swatting the ball as it does in Jackson.

Contact Graham Couch at gcouch@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @Graham_Couch.