Michigan State Basketball: Why Spartans would’ve won 2020 NCAA Tournament
By Ryan Kay
Rocket Watts play would have put Michigan State over the Top
Michigan State had two prominent scores in Winston and Tillman entering the month of February. If it was not that Rocket Watts had a bad season heading into the final stretch of Big Ten play, it was that his play had greatly increased to a level where he would become a consistent scorer with some great games in February.
In a game that the Spartans desperately needed if they had any hopes of still winning the Big Ten regular-season title, Watts stepped up his game on the road at Illinois. He didn’t even play 30 minutes but he shot 9 for 14 from the field scoring 21 points in a one-point victory over the Fighting Illini. He would later be the spark of a four-game span where Michigan State beat four straight top 20 ranked teams in a row.
He against No. 18 ranked Iowa, once again scored 21 points playing under 30 minutes in helping the Spartans defeated the Hawkeyes 78-70. In Michigan State’s next game on the road, Watts scored 13 points against No. 9 ranked Maryland but it was his stellar defense against Anthony Cowan Jr. holding him to 6 for 15 shooting with no made three’s. He held Cowan Jr. under his season average allowing the Spartans to a solid 12 point victory. Watts didn’t stop his excellent play.
On the road against No. 20 Penn State, Michigan State struggled Mightily in the first half against the Nittany Lions. Watts didn’t have a great shooting night but he scored 18 points and played a season-high 35 minutes in helping the Spartans win by eight points with an opportunity to win the Big Ten regular-season title. Against Ohio State with a share of the Big Ten title on the line, Watts once again played over 30 minutes and scored in double digits making four three-pointers for a total of 19 points in helping Michigan State get a share of the Big Ten regular-season title and an 11 point victory over No. 19 Ohio State.
The above descriptive details of Watts games in February are meant to show and demonstrate his impact on Michigan State and more importantly, how he transformed the Spartans into the front runners to win the national championship. Having him emerge as an offensive force to go along with his excellent defense which he displayed all season long, him helping Michigan State defeated Iowa, Maryland, Penn State, and Ohio State was very impressive. Watts along with Winston and Tillman arguably emerged as one of the if not the best triple threat in all of the college basketball entering the Big Ten tournament.