Skip to main content
michigan-state logo

V-Cast: Michigan State got pushed but not punked by physical 15 seed Bryant

On3 imageby:Paul Konyndyk•03/22/25•

PKonyndyk

V-Cast-Bryant Post-Game

CLEVELAND – Michigan State faced a scary small-conference team in Bryant in the Round of 64 and after being challenged for a half did some scaring of its own the way to an 87-62 win. The reward for beating Bryant is a Sunday match-up with Mountain West Champion New Mexico.

After the Spartans defeated Bryant, SpartanMag staffers Jim Comparoni and Paul Konyndyk weighed in the trick Round of 64 test with a postgame V-Cast from the floor at Rocket Arena.

V-Cast Topics

Carr Breaks Out: Coen Carr has had a bunch of momentum changing dunks, rebounds, and even some big defensive performances in games throughout the season. But nothing Carr had done in his Michigan State career to date was as impactful as the 18-point, 9-rebound show he put on against Bryant. Carr was a one-man wrecking crew against the America East champs. In the opening half of a game where Bryant was an aggressor and had Michigan State on its heels, Carr was the Kryptonite for Phil Martelli Jr.’s ballclub, and if he hadn’t played as well as he did, Michigan State could have found itself in serious trouble.

Value In Being Test: If given a choice, most coaches would prefer to win their Round of 64 NCAA Tournament game comfortably over being punched in the mouth the way that Michigan State was in the opening half of this game. Tom Izzo is no different, which is why he challenged his team to stop letting Bryant punk them during his talking points at halftime. That said, there is value in being pushed hard by an opponent and responding the way that Michigan State did. A lot of different players stepped up for Michigan State in this game beyond Coen Carr. Tre Holloman played good defense and made some big shots, as did Jase Richardson. Frankie Fidler also played one of his better games as a Spartan, contributing in a not insignificant manner to victory.

Dominating on the glass: Michigan State is a good rebounding team that went up against a Bryant team that is among the best undersized rebounding rosters in college basketball. Michigan State’s dominance on the glass, however, was a critical factor in the ability of the Spartans to pull away by as much as they did in the second half of this game. Spartan rebounds created a huge disparity in second-chance points between Michigan State and Bryant. That disparity paved the way for 25-point win and a date with New Mexico.

You may also like