3 Takeaways From the Spartans' Victory over Illinois

Let's take a look at three takeaways from the Michigan State Spartans' crucial win over the Illinois Fighting Illini on Sunday.

Jan 19, 2025; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Michigan State Spartans guard Jaden Akins (3) and forward Frankie Fidler (8) celebrate as the clock expires and the Michigan State Spartans defeat the Illinois Fighting Illini at Jack Breslin Student Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Dale Young-Imagn Images | Dale Young-Imagn Images

The No. 12 Michigan State Spartans outlasted the No. 19 Illinois Fighting Illini 80-78 at the Breslin Center on Sunday.

The Spartans collected their first ranked win at home this season, advancing to 7-0 in conference play while maintaining the top spot in the Big Ten standings.

Here are three takeaways from the Spartans' big win:

Next man up for MSU

A promising takeaway from the Spartans' victory over Illinois is that they don’t need to be perfect to beat ranked opponents. Over the past few years, Michigan State could give its best punch, but it wouldn’t be enough against the top teams. 

On Sunday, the Spartans played well but there were still some flaws in their game, however, those flaws were overcome as the Spartans outlasted the Fighting Illini.

The best part of the Spartans’ roster construction is that they aren’t dependent on one player. It took a while for their leading scorer, guard Jaden Akins, to get going, but there was no panic because of the trust that others would pick up the slack.

Co-captain Tre Holloman was the go-to guy early on, as the Spartans clawed back from an early double-digit deficit. His scoring combined with stellar playmaking abilities kept the Spartans above water.

The Spartans’ half-court execution

Illinois was able to take away the Spartans' ability to get out in transition, meaning they would have to operate at a high level from the half-court. Even though the Spartans' half-court offense has been stagnant at times this season, they executed when they needed to against Illinois.

Another promising sign was Spartans forward Coen Carr pulling up for a corner three with no hesitation and knocking it down. If Carr can resemble a threat from deep, the entire court will open up for him to use his athleticism to get to the rim and he won’t just be a threat in transition.

The sophomore finished with 11 points off the bench alongside forward Frankie Fidler, who also contributed a crucial 11 points from the bench.

MSU controlling the style of play

The Spartans were able to play their own game, controlling the tempo and style of play.

There has been a lot made of the Spartans' lack of 3-point shooting this season, as they rank at the bottom of the Big Ten when it comes to perimeter shooting. However, they were able to outshoot Illinois, as the Fighting Illini went cold from outside in the second half due to the Spartans’ relentless perimeter defense.

The Spartans were also able to take away the star of the Fighting Illini, freshman guard Kasparas Jancionis, who was in foul trouble early and could never get going. The NBA draft prospect was held to three points and fouled out late in the second half.

The ability for Michigan State to make opponents uncomfortable is quite impressive. Especially against a veteran team that has experience going deep into March, last season Illinois made it all the way to the Elite Eight, so they know how to battle adversity, but the Spartans were able to throw them off their game.

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