It was that kind of night for Michigan State’s celebrated freshman class. Bridges and Ward both scored 20 points, while an aggressive Langford finished with a season-high 17. Winston scored only seven points, but he dished out eight assists and for the first time all year didn’t turn the ball over once. Neither did Ward, as the Spartans recorded their lowest turnover total (9) of the season.
Source: Spartan Tailgate
Let’s get this out the way. Miles Bridges has made big decisions in his life (choosing Michigan State over Kentucky, for one) and has dealt with reporters and heat-seeking attention since the early twenty-tens. He’s appeared in the 2017 NBA mock drafts for years. His decision to potentially depart Michigan State after a one-and-done season has long been a foregone conclusion among most people with two eyes. Bridges knows this. Tom Izzo knows this. Michigan State knows this.
Source: MLive.com
After a blowout loss, Chris and Austin talk about the final stretch run as MSU tries to make the NCAA Tournament.
Source: The Only Colors
Michigan State guard/forward Miles Bridges has been selected as the Big Ten Freshman of the Week, as announced by the conference office on Monday. Bridges averaged 15.5 ppg, 10.0 rpg and shot 45.5 percent from the field in games vs. Ohio State and at Purdue.
Miles Bridges defies easy categorizations. The Michigan State freshman is by far the best scorer on his team, but he doesn’t play with the ball in his hands much and he’s rarely asked to create his own shot. He’s built like a tank (6-foot-7, 230 pounds), but he has little feel for playing out of the post and doesn’t know how to take advantage of his size. And while he’s a fantastic athlete who can fill up a highlight reel, his substandard reach (6-foot-9 wingspan) means he doesn’t always play as big as his
Source: The Ringer
Miles Bridges didn’t have to play high school basketball in Flint to become one of the city’s finest players. He didn’t have to stay at Flint Southwestern in order to establish a reputation, nor did he have to stay close to further a storied relationship between his hometown and Michigan State coach Tom Izzo. He’s one of them, the Flint elite. Perhaps the best of them.
Source: Fan Rag
Miles Bridges is moving up Fox Sports’ “Big Board” for the NBA draft. The network released a Version 2.0 of its list of top NBA draft prospects this week, and Bridges is up four spots from the first list in January, to No. 12, should he declare for the draft.
Source: Detroit News
Miles Bridges did his normal thing on Tuesday night. He scored 17 points. He grabbed 11 rebounds. He blocked a few shots. He delivered a highlight dunk. Michigan State beat Ohio State, 74-66. No big deal. All in a night’s work. Bridges is averaging 18.3 points on 52.9 percent shooting, 8.3 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per outing in the last nine games.
Source: MLive.com
The Spartans’ top three lineups are playing 31.0 percent of the minutes. Heading into a home date with Ohio State (15-11, 5-8 Big Ten) on Tuesday night (9 p.m. TV: ESPN), over the last five games, MSU most prevalent lineup — by a slight margin — has been Tum Tum Nairn, Eron Harris, Joshua Langford Kenny Goins and Miles Bridges. It’s played 11.8 percent of MSU’s minutes. There have been varying forms of that lineup with Nick Ward, Cassius Winston, Matt McQuaid and Alvin Ellis III joining the rotation, but none have played more than 11 percent of the time together as a singular unit.
Source: How Tom Izzo’s shapeshifting rotations are unique, and not changing anytime soon | MLive.com
Tom Izzo knew Michigan State needed to hit the boards better. His players did so, early and often Saturday night. With turnovers continuing to be an issue, the Spartans needed every extra possession they could gather against Iowa en route to a crucial 77-66 victory that helped erase some of the sting of Tuesday’s blowout loss at Michigan.
Source: Detroit Free Press
Second-half run sparks MSU to 77-66 win over Iowa Spartan Tailgate
Tom Izzo pumped his fist and yelled in approval of his team’s play, while Fran McCaffery called a timeout and screamed at the officials. After turning the ball over what seemed like every other possession for the first 25 minutes of Saturday’s game against Iowa, Michigan State made five of six shots, including four 3-pointers, in a span of a little more than two minutes to go on a 13-4 run and open up a nine-point lead over the Hawkeyes with 12:10 remaining.
Miles Bridges gets a little help from his friends as Michigan State beats Iowa MLive
Miles Bridges kept Michigan State above water on Saturday night. Then his fellow freshmen did some rowing. Bridges scored 14 of his team-high 16 points in the first half, while Nick Ward, Cassius Winston and Joshua Lanford combined for 32 second-half points, as Michigan State beat visiting Iowa at Breslin Center.
Michigan State takes down Iowa at home, 77-66, behind tough defensive effort Land of 10
A second-half run initiated by stingy perimeter defense led Michigan State (15-10, 7-5 Big Ten) to a 77-66 win over Iowa (14-12, 6-7) on Saturday at the Breslin Center. Freshman Miles Bridges led the way with 16 points and 11 rebounds, while Nick Ward added 14 points, Kenny Goins gathered 10 rebounds and Cassius Winston dished out five assists.
Spartans win pivotal matchup against Iowa, stop Jok, 77-66 State News
Taking the court for the first time since Tuesday night’s 29-point blowout loss to the University of Michigan, MSU (15-10, 7-5 Big Ten) defeated the University of Iowa Hawkeyes (14-12, 6-7 Big Ten) at home Saturday in a pivotal game in conference play by a final score of 77-66.
Strong second half carries Spartans past Hawkeyes Detroit News
In the first half Saturday night, Iowa did practically nothing right. And yet, someway, somehow, it held a lead over Michigan State. The Spartans went from frazzled in the first 20 minutes to fierce for the final 20 to beat the Hawkeyes, 77-66, before a raucous sellout crowd at Breslin Center.
Despite Turnovers, Spartans beat Hawkeyes in Pivotal Matchup Impact Sports
Michigan State (14-10 OVR, 6-5 B1G) and Jack Breslin Student Events Center played host to the Iowa Hawkeyes (14-11 OVR, 6-6 B1G) on Saturday evening, as both teams looked to get back on the winning track as the conference season winds down. But after 40 minutes of back-and-forth play, it was the Spartans who got a much needed win in their first of four home games to close out the season, beating the Hawkeyes 77-66.
Michigan State Defeats Iowa 77-66 MSUSpartans.com
Miles Bridges scored 14 of his 16 points in the first half and finished with 11 rebounds, leading Michigan State in a 77-66 win over Iowa on Saturday night. The Spartans (15-10, 7-5 Big Ten) bounced back from a lopsided loss at Michigan with their third win in four games, improving their chances of playing in a 20th straight NCAA tournament.
Spartan Stars: MSU’s top performers in win over Iowa Spartan Tailgate
Seven different players had six or more points for MSU, and nine total scored while Michigan State shot 48.3 percent from the field as a team to overcome 21 turnovers for the second game in a row. The Spartans also outrebounded Iowa 46-32, thanks to 14 offensive rebounds and holding the Hawkeyes to 32.8 percent shooting (and the fact MSU turned it over so many times).
Langford, Bridges, and Ward propel Spartans over Hawkeyes isportsweb
Life on the bubble has been nerve-wracking, frustrating, and exhausting for the Michigan State Basketball team. In a must-win game at the Jack Breslin Student Events Center, the Michigan State Basketball team was able to overcome a sloppy first half and pull away from the Iowa Hawkeyes in a sharp second half by a score of 77 to 66.
Over the past few years, the NBA has embraced smallball. League coaches want to switch more on defense and get more spacing on offense, but a lack of truly versatile wings has hindered their ability to fully commit to the ongoing basketball revolution. Most of the time, as humans grow taller, it’s harder for them to retain both explosiveness and fluid body control. NBA wings need to do both and play with league-level perimeter skills in order to be effective. That’s a tough needle to thread: veer too far o
Source: VICE Sports
The speculation over Miles’ Bridges future will certainly come up as the season progresses and his name shows up on NBA mock draft lists. But whether he leaves Michigan State after one season or not hasn’t had any effect on how he feels about his school. Bridges bleeds green as much as the next Spartan, and Tuesday night’s meeting with Michigan is just another example.
Source: Detroit News
Sam and Rod are back to break down MSU’s low-stress road win over Nebraska, preview the Michigan and Iowa games, and scout 2017 offer Greg Elliott.
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Tom Izzo continues to seek and demand more and more from players not named Miles Bridges.The fabulous freshman was his usual self on Thursday night, but his Michigan State teammates stole the show with one of the most complete performances this season in a 72-61 win at Nebraska.
Source: Detroit Free Press
Michigan State takes care of business in Nebraska, picks up key Big Ten road win MLive
Tom Izzo said Michigan State was on high alert for Nebraska this week. The Huskers were coming off a home win over Purdue and ready to host MSU on Thursday. The Spartans were ready, indeed.
Five Spartans score double-figures as MSU records first road win since Dec. 27 against Nebraska State News
Nick Ward was left out of the starting lineup for the first time in 10 games for the Spartans (14-9 overall, 6-4 Big Ten), but played limited minutes as the Spartans earned their first road win since Dec. 27 by defeating Nebraska (10-12 overall, 4-6 Big Ten) Thursday, 72-61.
Spartans can’t miss in landslide victory over Huskers isportsweb
The Michigan State Basketball team (14-9, 6-4) played with a certain type of urgency, a certain type of swagger that we have no seen at all this season, Thursday night against Nebraska (10-12, 4-6). It was almost as if Tom Izzo had his squad smelling March on the horizon. For one of the first times in the Big Ten portion of this basketball season the Spartans were able to put everything together in a 72 to 61 victory.
Michigan State rides ball movement, hot shooting to 72-61 road win against Nebraska Land of 10
Michigan State is getting things rolling once again, grabbing its second consecutive win with a 72-61 road victory over Nebraska at Pinnacle Bank Arena on Thursday night.
Hot shooting, defense leads MSU to 72-61 win over Nebraska Spartan Tailgate
Behind hot perimeter shooting and a balanced attack, Michigan State picked up its first road win since the Big Ten opener in December by beating Nebraska 72-61 Thursday in Lincoln. Miles Bridges scored 16 points to lead the Spartans, who had five players in double figures and another player finish with nine points.
Hot-shooting Michigan State blasts Nebraska Detroit News
Michigan State said it was on high alert heading into Thursday night’s matchup with Nebraska, especially with the Cornhuskers coming off an upset of Purdue. It proved to be the right approach as Michigan State played arguably its best road game of the season to cruise past Nebraska, 72-61, at Pinnacle Bank Arena.
Highlights, recap at Nebraska Spartan Avenue
Michigan State went the entire month of December without a road victory and that all changed on Thursday night as the Spartans defeated Nebraska, 72-61, in Lincoln. The Cornhuskers had been a thorn in Michigan State’s side for the past few years and the Spartans came out hot and didn’t look back.
Michigan State pulls away from Nebraska in 72-61 win MSUSpartans.com
Miles Bridges scored 16 points to lead five Michigan State players in double figures, and Michigan State shot 63 percent in the second half to pull away from Nebraska for a 72-61 victory on Thursday night. The Spartans (14-9, 6-4 Big Ten), who beat Michigan on Sunday, won consecutive games for the first time since December and ended a three-game losing streak against the Cornhuskers (10-12, 4-6).
Michigan State sees the 3s fall vs. Nebraska, but defense carries the day MLive
Michigan State won its second true road game of the season on Thursday, 72-61, over Nebraska. Some immediate observations from Pinnacle Bank Arena
What he said: Tom Izzo sees a team getting better after 72-61 road win against Nebraska Land of 10
Tom Izzo wants to make sure of one thing as the season goes on: That his team is getting better. A 72-61 road win on Thursday against a 10-12 Nebraska team that has now lost six of its last seven games might not be the best indicator, but Izzo didn’t look at it that way following the game.
Illness doesn’t stop Goins, Ward from scoring Detroit Free Press
There are no more excuses for Nick Ward and Kenny Goins. Two of Michigan State’s three tallest players battled through illness Thursday night and combined for 20 points in the Spartans’ 72-61 win at Nebraska.
Miles Bridges has been named as one of the 10 watch list finalists for the 2017 Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award. Named after Hall of Famer and two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Karl Malone, the annual honor in its third year recognizes the top power forwards in Division I mens college basketball. A national committee comprised of top college basketball personnel determined the watch list of 20 candidates in October, which has now been narrowed to just 10.
Miles Bridges has been named the Wayman Tisdale National Freshman of the Week, as announced by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) and CBS Sports on Tuesday. Bridges averaged 20.0 ppg, 10.0 rpg and 3.0 bpg last week, while shooting 55.9 percent from the floor in games vs. Purdue and Michigan.
Chris is joined by former Spartan Sports Network host/producer Adam Ruff to talk about MSU’s win over Michigan and more.
Source: The Only Colors
Miles Bridges has been selected as the Big Ten Freshman of the Week, as announced by the conference office on Monday. Bridges averaged 20.0 ppg, 10.0 rpg and 3.0 bpg last week, while shooting 55.9 percent from the floor in games vs. Purdue and Michigan.
Sam and Rod revel after a crucial, order-restoring victory over Michigan. Topics: