Three Key UConn Players for MSU To Pay Attention To
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Michigan State is on a roll through its first two games of March Madness. After a dominant performance against North Dakota State in the first round, the Spartans delivered another impressive showing in the second round, taking down the Louisville Cardinals convincingly.
Through the first two rounds of the tournament, Coen Carr has elevated his game to another level. While always a human highlight reel, Carr is averaging 19 points, seven rebounds, 1.5 blocks, and a steal per game while shooting 67% from the field, 50% from three, and 78% from the free-throw line.
Against Louisville, Carr led the Spartans with 21 points on 8-of-13 shooting from the field and 2-of-4 from three-point range, adding 10 rebounds, two blocks, and a steal in another electric performance.
Jeremy Fears was not at his sharpest shooting the ball, finishing 3-of-13 from the field for 12 points, but his impact on the game was undeniable. Fears made history against Louisville, breaking Magic Johnson's record for the most assists in a single NCAA Tournament game with an extraordinary 16 assists, keeping the Spartans' offense humming all night.
With the win over Louisville, Michigan State heads to Washington, D.C., for the Sweet 16 to face the UConn Huskies. The two teams met earlier this season in an exhibition game, with the Huskies coming out on top. If the Spartans want a different result this time around, they will need to account for three key players.
Tarris Reed Jr.
After spending his first two seasons at the University of Michigan, Reed transferred to UConn, where he came off the bench but flashed the potential of a future star. This season, that potential has fully materialized. Reed has broken out as one of the best big men in the country, averaging a career-high 14.2 points on 62% shooting from the field, along with nearly nine rebounds, 2.4 assists, two blocks, and nearly a steal per game.
In the first round of the tournament, Reed was virtually unstoppable, putting up 31 points on 80% shooting and hauling in 27 rebounds in one of the most dominant individual performances in recent NCAA Tournament memory. Michigan State's frontcourt will have its hands full from the opening tip.
Alex Karaban
Karaban is a two-time national champion, having been a key part of UConn's back-to-back title runs in 2023 and 2024. Following the second championship, he was viewed as a potential first-round NBA Draft pick, but chose to return to school and has developed into one of the premier shooters in college basketball.
Karaban is averaging 39.4% from three-point range on the season, and through the Huskies' first two tournament games, he has been even hotter, connecting on 8-of-17 attempts from beyond the arc. If Michigan State's defense gives him any daylight, he will make them pay.
Braylon Mullins
Mullins arrived on campus as a five-star recruit and has validated every bit of that billing. Despite missing the beginning of the season due to an ankle injury and struggling in his return against Illinois, Mullins has been outstanding since then, averaging 12 points on 43% shooting from the field and 33% from three-point range.
Mullins is not just a scorer, either. He is a capable and active defender, averaging 1.1 steals and 0.7 blocks per game, making him a two-way threat that Michigan State must account for on both ends of the floor.
Michigan State is playing great basketball at the best time, with Carr taking over games, Fears making history, and Fort providing timely shooting off the bench. But UConn is a different animal. Reed is a force in the paint, Karaban can get hot from three in a hurry, and Mullins is a two-way threat who can disrupt what the Spartans want to do. How Tom Izzo and Michigan State respond to that challenge will tell us a lot about how far this team can go
Luke Joseph is a graduate of Michigan State University with a degree in journalism. Drawing on his extensive knowledge of sports and commitment to storytelling, he serves as a general sports reporter On SI, covering the NFL and college athletics with insight and expertise.