Michigan State Basketball: Early Grades for Spartans' Starters

Michigan State's beginning to show its hand. 

The Spartans showed that they could run with the best during their 81-71 loss to then-No. 4-ranked Duke. They again proved that they had a little something cooking during a head-scratching 61-56 loss to then-No. 11-ranked Kansas. 

And there was the 79-78 overtime loss to Notre Dame, which reinforced the notion of college hoops being one of the ultimate equalizers in all of sports—anything can happen, any night, to anyone. 

Sitting at 6-3 and off until Dec. 14 versus Oakland (Mich.) University, Tom Izzo's club has been led by the usual suspects such as Travis Trice, Branden Dawson and Denzel Valentine. But it's also getting boosts from Matt Costello and Marvin Clark. 

This slideshow will grade and focus on the starters and those who play starter minutes, while also taking a closer look at the other contributors. 

Travis Trice, Senior Point Guard

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Travis Trice is playing as well as any guard in the Big Ten.

Travis Trice isn't only meeting expectations; he's somewhat exceeding them. 

The 6'0", 170-pound point guard is averaging 15.2 points, 5.4 assists and 4.2 rebounds per game while orchestrating a developing Spartans offense. Through the early goings, Trice has demonstrated take-charge abilities, erupting for a high of 25 points versus Navy and a pair of 19-point efforts versus Santa Clara and Marquette. 

Trice's 4.08 assist-to-turnover ratio ranks No. 16 nationally, and only two Big Ten players have better averages: Spike Albrecht (6.80) of Michigan and Ahmad Starks (5.00) of Illinois. 

Taking care of the ball is the prime objective. Trice is doing that; he's also scoring at a career-pace. Michigan State will be in great shape if he continues ripping stat sheets. 

Trice had three assists during Michigan State's win this past Saturday over Arkansas-Pine Bluff. The team had 27 assists on 30 baskets, which was "mind-boggling" for Izzo, according to MLive.com's Mike Griffith. 

"Travis Trice today moved the ball as well as anybody,'' Izzo said. "He only had three assists, but if he was a hockey player, he would have probably had 12. You know, the assist to the assist that those guys have. So he did a great job and moved the ball and just took shots that were there."

That quote pretty much sums up Trice's year. He's been a reliable asset and deserves a grade of A-. 

Branden Dawson, Senior Forward/Wing

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Dec 3, 2014; South Bend, IN, USA; Michigan State Spartans guard Branden Dawson (22) celebrates after a basket in the first half against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at the Purcell Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports

When Branden Dawson's on, he's among the most athletic scorers in the land. 

When he's off, he's among the most athletic guys on the bench.

Recently hampered by the flu, the 6'6", 225-pound forward/wing looks close to regaining his bearings, which is good news for Michigan State.

Shut down during that three-game slide, Dawson followed with an absurd line of 16 points and 18 boards against Notre Dame before turning in 12 and seven this past Saturday versus Arkansas-Pine Bluff. 

Once he's really back, then it's game on for Izzo.

The flu bug won't knock Dawson's grade by too much, but it has to be factored into assessment. He's averaging an ordinary 11 points per game, but he's grabbing nine boards. Again, those numbers are influenced by low lows and high highs. And even Dawson should get somewhere in the range of 15 and 10 every night. 

That said, he gets an incomplete for the time being.

"It's been a frustrating situation for him, for us, because I think if he does the things I know he can do, I say we win that [Kansas] game," Izzo recently said of Dawson's ups, downs and bouts with the flu, according to Joe Rexrode of the Detroit Free Press.

"I really do. That's a lot to put on a guy, but at the same time he (did) have a 103 temperature (last week), you don't come off that and be good. He just looked like he wasn't focused in on what he had to do. Sometimes he lets a shot or missed shot (linger). I could have cared less about that shots, it was the other things that created the problems—and still he gets nine rebounds, not even working."

Denzel Valentine, Junior Everything

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Michigan State is getting a matured version of Denzel Valentine this season.

Denzel Valentine is one of the most underrated...

OK, so you know the story by now: Valentine can ball, but he's not always appreciated by the media at large. He's not in-your-face, but he has flash. He's not cocky, but he definitely brings attitude to the court. The 6'5", 225-pound junior is everything a coach could want, really. 

When Carlton Valentine is your dad, you learn how to play the game at an early age. The former Spartans standout taught Denzel well, and Denzel continues to learn from Izzo. It's been a cycle of development for Valentine, who seems to only get better with age. 

Playing more like a senior than an underclassmen has been the hallmark of Valentine's career. Despite losing to Notre Dame, he put forth a great line of 22 points, five rebounds and two assists. Minus the foul trouble, it wasn't a bad game. 

He's had 19- and 22-point games too, suggesting that high-teens point totals could soon be the norm for Valentine, whose 14.6 points per outing rank No. 2 on the team behind Trice's 15.2. 

Valentine is proving to be Izzo's go-to, so he gets an A-.

However, there is one issue: He needs to address foul trouble in close games. He had four during the 79-78 loss to the Irish and four during the 81-71 loss to Duke. Granted, they all didn't directly contribute to the Spartans' demise, but touting four with the game on the line probably isn't the preferred mode of operation. 

Matt Costello, Junior Forward

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Matt Costello's learning how to adjust to playing more minutes.

Now a junior, it's time for Matt Costello to pick a side: He's either a bruiser, or he's a guy who fails to use his 6'9", 245-pound frame to his advantage. 

It's a coin flip. 

He scored 15 points and raked in five rebounds during 19 minutes of action this past Saturday...

But he did that versus Arkansas-Pine Bluff. 

He scored four points versus Notre Dame, Kansas and Marquette. He scored six versus Rider. Rebounding should be a strength, but it's not. Costello managed just 20 rebounds during that four-game stretch, highlighted by nine against Rider. 

Costello can be almost dominant when he's assertive. This passive-aggressive thing has run its course, though. He either has to step forward or move aside for someone who'll bang in the paint. 

For that reason, Costello gets a C-. He's a 10-and-10 guy who should let loose for the occasional 18-and-15 night. 

Bryn Forbes, Junior Guard

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Cleveland State transfer Bryn Forbes adds scoring punch to the Spartans offense. His defense needs work.

Thus far, Izzo hasn't seen the best of Bryn Forbes, a transfer shooting guard from Cleveland State. 

However, Forbes, despite an ailing non-shooting wrist (left), seems to be growing more comfortable with each game. He's recently posted two great examples of just how effective he can be by scoring 18 versus Notre Dame and finishing with 12 points and four assists versus Arkansas-Pine Bluff. 

Once fully healed, Forbes should evolve into a steady perimeter option. His offensive skill set brings about several possibilities for the Spartans, who entered the year with a need for three after Kenny Kaminski, a sharpshooting 6'7" forward, was dismissed this past summer. 

Once he completes that turn, the next step is to tighten up on defense. He's 6'3" and 175 pounds, a lanky type of frame that often gets pushed around in the Big Ten. Forbes won't survive a conference season if he doesn't fight back. 

Other than that, he's been OK. The jury's still out on this one because of his wrist injury. Judging by what Forbes has shown and given the circumstances, a grade of B- is in order for the former Horizon League standout. 

Lending a Hand

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Freshman point guard Lourawls "Tum-Tum" Nairn plays more than 19 minutes per game.

Although just a freshman, Lourawls "Tum-Tum" Nairn is becoming a more important piece of the big picture. In a perfect world, one with a deeper roster, Izzo would have been able to redshirt the 5'10", 170-pound point guard. 

Instead of having that luxury, he's playing Nairn for nearly 20 minutes per game out of necessity. Nairn isn't blowing up stat sheets, but he's improving on the defensive end. His speed makes him difficult to counter, which leads to steals and disrupted plays. 

He had six assists versus Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Again, that's nothing to cause mass hysteria, but it's a start. Tum-Tum's learning and could be valuable come March. 

He gets a B-. 

Nairn's not the only one making strides; Gavin Schilling's rolling out of bed too. Like Costello, the 6'9", 240-pound sophomore forward must get nastier in the post. Izzo needs fight up front. 

Schilling has an upside, and it's his athleticism. When revving at full-tilt, he can wreck rims and swat shots with anyone. He's another example of one of Izzo's projects, which vary in degree and circumstance. With Schilling, it's all about combining strength with finesse. 

But until that happens, Schilling gets a C+.

Marvin Clark's sliding into plans nicely. The 6'6", 225-pound freshman forward is, of course, learning how to up his physical game, but he's finding a bit of success from long range, sinking 1.3 of 2.7 attempts per outing. He's not going to fill it up from three all of the time, but he gives Izzo another inside-outside option. 

He gets a B+ for averaging 7.2 points and 2.9 rebounds per game—not bad for a first-year kid. 

Follow Bleacher Report's Michigan State Spartans basketball writer Adam Biggers on Twitter @AdamBiggers81.