Michigan State Basketball: Why Spartans are legit 2018-19 title contenders

2. Elite Offense

One thing that is going to go a long way in setting Michigan State apart from the rest of the teams in the tournament is their elite offense to go along with their elite defense. Most teams cannot say they have both. The Spartans can, in fact they have one of the highest scoring offenses in the country and average just under 85 points per game. The Spartans and their offensive sets are overwhelming for opposing defenses. They have so many weapons and options of players who can score.

Cassius Winston and Nick Ward are the center of the offense. Winston is the point guard who draws the attention of everyone. He is an elite scorer and frontrunner now for the Big Ten Player of the Year. Winston has tremendous numbers shooting the ball. His 18 points per game are near the tops of the conference, he shoots 44% from three-point range, and 80 percent from the free throw line. These numbers alone are great, but thinking about these numbers while contributing seven assists nightly makes him the toughest player to guard in the entire league, and one of the toughest in the entire country.

Nick Ward is a senior big man for the Spartans. Ward is averaging 17 points per game and is very efficient from the floor. He shoots over 60% from the floor and can get to the line at an elite level. To go along with his scoring Ward is a big body and a tough player to work around in the post. He is a huge piece of what Michigan State is trying to do on defense and along with his defense is a great rebounder. The scary part of Michigan State is their starting wing and third best scorer Joshua Langford is out with an injury. When he returns Michigan State will be all the better on both ends of the floor.