3-2-1: Can unbeaten Michigan State continue its roll in Big Ten play?

EAST LANSING, Mich. – In just her second season, head coach Robyn Fralick has created a culture which has the Michigan State women’s basketball team off to a 9-0 start for the first time in program history.

With an uptempo style that focuses on presses and traps, the Spartans have played their way into a No. 17/19 ranking. And in a Big Ten conference that is fast becoming the best conference in women’s college basketball, Fralick’s squad is gaining notice as one of just nine teams in the nation that is still undefeated.

During their first nine games the Spartans have put up impressive numbers, averaging an eye-popping and Big Ten-best 91.4 points per game.

But this group is not just about offense. The defense has been equally noticeable as Michigan State has limited its opponents to just 53.1 points a contest, good for third in the Big Ten.

With added depth, a pair of all-conference forwards in graduate student Julia Ayrault and junior transfer Grace VanSlooten, the Spartans look like a team that is on its way to a second consecutive NCAA Tournament bid. This is also a squad that looks like it will be in the mix to challenge for a Big Ten title.

Michigan State will look to remain perfect when the team opens Big Ten play against No. 21/25 Iowa (9-1) at noon on Sunday in Breslin Center (BTN).

Continue below for Three Things We Learned, Two Questions, and One Prediction based on what we’ve observed from Michigan State through its non-conference schedule. 

THREE THINGS WE LEARNED

1. Added Depth, Added Firepower

Last year, Michigan State opened the season with a 7-2 mark through its first nine games and played much of the campaign with a rotation of seven players due to injuries.

This season, depth is a new strength for the Spartans. Even with Ayrault missing a game with a lower-body injury, VanSlooten missing a game with an illness, and junior reserve guard Abbey Kimball missing time with a lower-body injury, the Spartans haven’t missed a beat.

During the 2023-24 season, two players, Moira Joiner and DeeDee Hagemann, averaged more than 31 minutes a game, while three others Ayrault, Theryn Hallock and Jocelyn Tate averaged more than 25 minutes per contest.

This season, nine players are averaging between 14.6 and 23.9 minutes per contest.

And the additional depth has been quality depth. Three players are averaging 12 or more points a game and three others contributing 7.8, eight and 8.4 points per contest. Three more are adding 5.3 to 5.8 points an outing.

The added, quality depth has made Michigan State’s uptempo offense, pressing and trapping that much more lethal.

 “I think people like watching winners and there’s a million ways to win,” Fralick said. “Our group, the way we play requires great effort, it requires great togetherness and that is compelling to watch.

“To be good you have to be good on all kinds of different nights. Good shooting nights, bad shooting nights, different personnel, different matchups. You have to be multi-dimensional, and I think we have ways to do that so far.’’ 

2. Dynamic Duo Blossoming

The addition of junior forward Grace VanSlooten through the transfer portal has done two things for this team. It has allowed Julia Ayrault to play more as a forward, giving Michigan State a stronger post presence. It has also given the Spartans arguably the best all-around forward tandem in the Big Ten.

Entering Sunday’s Big Ten opener against the Hawkeyes, VanSlooten and Ayrault are the team’s top scorers and rebounders with Ayrault leading the way at 16.4 points and 8.5 rebounds per game and VanSlooten close behind at 15.5 points and 8.4 boards a contest.

The duo has also proven their versatility, combining to contribute 43 assists, 27 steals and 24 blocks.

They have led or shared the team’s top scorer and top rebounder in seven of the nine games.

Among Big Ten leaders, other than Michigan State, only USC has two players in the Top 15 in scoring, in the Top 12 in rebounding and in the Top 11 in blocked shots.

“(VanSlooten) puts so much pressure on the rim and she does a great job of drawing fouls,’’ Fralick said. “(Ayrault) is pretty unique in the fact that she can score inside and out and that she is a good passer,” 

3. The Portal Has Provided

There’s no doubt that the transfer portal, in all sports across the collegiate landscape, can change the trajectory of a season. For Fralick and the Spartans, the portal additions Michigan State made during the offseason have been a key in the team’s undefeated start.

After last season’s 22-9 finish, the Spartans lost shooting guards Moira Joiner and Tory Ozment to graduation and point guard DeeDee Hagemann to the transfer portal.

Those departures meant that Michigan State lost a combined 36.6 points, 11.8 rebounds and 9.3 assists per game.

With the portal additions of VanSlooten from Oregon, graduate student guards Nyla Hampton (Ball State) and Jaddan Simmons (Arizona State), and junior guard Emma Shumate from Ohio State, Michigan State has been able to more than re-fortify its lost offensive production.

In addition to VanSlooten’s go-to talent, Hampton and Simmons have added a combined 12.4 points and 5.5 assists per game, while Shumate has pitched in with 5.3 points and 1.3 rebounds a contest.

“We’ve got a lot of kids who are fast, can guard multiple spots and we feel like speed, length and versatility are strengths across our team,’’ Fralick said. “So we’ve got to find ways to keep using that to our advantage.’’ 

TWO QUESTIONS

1. How will Michigan State respond to being ranked?

For the first time since 2021, Michigan State women’s basketball is ranked, first coming in at No. 24 two weeks ago before moving to No.17/19.

Last season, the Spartans were hunters, fighting for respect, victories and validation.

Now, with the start of Big Ten season on tap, ranked opponents will be looking to strengthen their resumés with wins over the Spartans, and unranked foes will seek to gain momentum for their seasons by taking down the Spartans.

How Michigan State handles these challenges week-in and week-out will say a lot about how their season shakes out once the postseason begins in March.

Entering Big Ten play, the Spartans are one of eight conference teams ranked in the AP Top 25.

2. Will the Spartans continue their strong defense?

A lot has been made of Michigan State’s points-per-game average, tops in the Big Ten at 91.4 ppg, and shooting percentage (.491) but what has really fueled the Spartans’ 9-0 start has been a very strong defense.

Michigan State will enter Sunday’s Big Ten opener giving up just 53.1 points a game – good for second in the conference. The Spartans are also averaging 15.2 steals, first in the Big 10, while forcing 25.4 turnovers and averaging 6.2 blocks per game.

So the question will be, can the Spartans maintain their strong defensive posture throughout what is expected to be a grueling Big Ten season?

Michigan State is also holding its opponents through nine games to .333 shooting from the field, good for second in the conference..

Individually, Hampton is third in the Big Ten in steals, averaging 2.4 spg. Simmons is tied for fourth in the Big Ten in steals with per game while senior guard/forward Jocleyn Tate is sixth in the conference with 2.2 steals per game. The Spartans are first in the B1G in steals, averaging 15.2 spg. 

ONE PREDICTION

Michigan State will be in position to host NCAA Tournament First and Second Round play at Breslin Center this season.

The Spartans haven’t hosted NCAA Tournament play since 2009, when Michigan State, as a No. 9 seed, made NCAA Tournament history by knocking off a No. 1 seed when they upset Duke, 63-49, en route to a trip to the Sweet Sixteen.

This group has all of the makings of earning a ranking high enough to be one of 16 teams awarded a home host.