RICHMOND, Va. -- Michigan State didn't come to Virginia for nothing.

The Spartans might have found Kelvin Torbert's game, even if the game in which he was playing in didn't end up being finished.

The highly-touted freshman Torbert had been a virtual no-show for the first four games, standing still when he didn't have the basketball, unable to break free for a dunk or even make himself a factor around the basket. He was struggling in nearly every one of his 24.5 minutes a game, shooting 35 percent, 25 percent on 3s and averaging seven points and 3.8 boards.

But Torbert's season might have turned on one rebound late in the first half of the suspended Michigan State-Virginia game.

He went up and grabbed a rebound with 58 seconds left, snatching the board near the rim and then falling to the floor where he was fouled.

Michigan State coach Tom Izzo was so jacked up about Torbert's rebound that at the ensuing dead ball, he motioned him over, hugged him and slapped him on the butt.

"I think I'll kiss him next time," Izzo said. "Did you see how he went up and got that rebound? That's the player you and everyone else expected. He's still not the player I recruited, but when I saw that, I told my assistants, 'That's my guy. That's the guy who went to see all the time.'

"Everyone has been on me about why I'm so high on Kelvin Torbert. But he made progress."

Izzo was down on Torbert last Friday night in New York after he failed to be a factor against Fresno State in the Preseason NIT consolation game. Torbert almost didn't need to be guarded on the perimeter if he didn't have the ball. And he wasn't going after boards.

But he had five boards in 18 minutes (of unofficial and incomplete stats) against Virginia. He made a 3-pointer and looked sure of his game, even if he and everyone else weren't sure about their footing on the slippery Richmond Coliseum court.

"That's the stuff he's been asking for all year," Torbert said. "I learned how to play a lot harder. I'm getting adjusted to college ball now. We learned playing hard and especially for me was important in this game."

Michigan State forward Aloysius Anagonye said seeing Torbert rebound from the wing, even in a shortened game might be the best thing to come out of this bizarre trip.

"We know he can do that," Anagonye said. "If you watch the tape, I'll bet you'll see Kelvin's head above the rim. We expect that from him and this is the first time he has shown his real ability. We want him to be that spark plug."

Michigan State might have ended up losing the game, especially since Virginia was on a 12-4 run when it was suspended at 31-28 with 15:04 remaining. But Torbert was finally getting into a groove where he looked like he belonged on the court. If that trend continues, then the Spartans have a chance to get better and compete in the top four in the Big Ten.

They need Torbert to be a scorer on the wing, a rebounder from the weak side and to be an impact freshman.

That one rebound might have been the first sign he can truly be all three.

Andy Katz is a senior writer at ESPN.com.