Rocket Watts has been a versatile contributor for Michigan State this season, but it looks like he will return to the starting lineup for Thursday’s B1G Tournament game.

It has definitely been a back-and-forth season for the sophomore after he opened the year as the backup to Foster Loyer. He quickly took over the starting role and scored a combined 43 points in back-to-back wins over Duke and Detroit.

After that, Watts struggled in a few games and would eventually bounce back-and-forth between the starting lineup and coming off the bench for the Spartans. He finished the year by starting the game at Michigan and scoring just six points in the loss.

In the season finale at home against the Wolverines, Watts played 33 minutes off the bench and helped engineer the upset with a game-high 21 points to go with four rebounds and four assists. He will look to ride that momentum into Indianapolis.

According to Chris Solari with the Detroit Free Press, Watts will also be back in the starting lineup for the game against Maryland. Tom Izzo made the announcement in his pre-game radio show. Izzo noted the change will allow him to pull Marcus Bingham and Gabe Brown off the bench against the Terrapins:

Hopefully, the move allows the Spartans to match up better than they did in the regular-season loss to Maryland. With both teams still on the bubble for the NCAA Tournament, a win – or loss – could be the difference maker.

Thursday’s tipoff is quickly approaching at 11:30 am EST on BTN.