Michigan State Basketball: Evaluating Spartans heading into 2021 NCAA Tournament
By Ryan Kay
Aaron Henry is Michigan State’s MVP this season
Aaron Henry had huge shoes to fill with the departure of Cassius Winston. No player since Magic Johnson has made those around them better than Winston had done last season so there was an anticipated drop-off expected with him now playing in the NBA.
However, the hope entering this season was that Henry like other former Spartans like Draymond Green, Gary Harris, and now Jaren Jackson Jr. who have flourished in the NBA since leaving East Lansing would lead Michigan State to their fourth straight regular-season Big Ten title.
Even though Henry played well for the majority of the season, he was unable to lead the Spartans to the success that they are accustomed to. He simply has done more with less and has elevated the play of his teammates to levels in wins over Illinois and Ohio State.
Another issue is unlike last season when Winston had Xavier Tillman as a very reliable teammate who could score and defend at a very consistent pace, Henry has at times struggled to have his teammates support him, especially on the offensive end. More was expected for the most part from the upperclassmen Joey Hauser and Joshua Langford who have been starters for the majority of the season.
The other juniors on the team Gabe Brown, Thomas Kithier, Marcus Bingham Jr., Foster Loyer have started here and there throughout the season but none of them have been able to fully cement themselves as the fifth starter on the team.
Loyer is injured and is out for the season, Kithier had started the majority of the first half of the season but his playing time has greatly diminished, Bingham is playing more but not producing a lot of points on the offensive end, and Brown has shown flashes of increased offensive production but more was expected from him this season. Henry needs a teammate like Tillman was last season for Winston to step up especially on the offensive end for the Spartans to make a run in the NCAA tournament.
Henry is an effective guard on both ends of the court and his defense has been very consistent earning him a place on the All-Big Ten defensive team this season. He especially of late has tried so many different ways to elevate his teammate’s games week after week but with the exception of a few games, his teammates have not risen to the occasion.
When it comes to crunch time, Henry may be asked to single handily take over a game not just by scoring but by his overall ability to get his teammates to take their games to another level, especially offensively. He has improved since last season, which gets lost in the conversation about him often due to the Spartans have a not-so-stellar record this season.
When Winston and Tillman left for the NBA, many thought the Spartans would not have as high expectations this season but they still believe that they would still be able to contend in the Big Ten this season. Henry will be the key to any run in the NCAA tournament this year for Michigan State.