After a grueling early season schedule filled with ups and downs, we finally have a chance to take a step back and see where this Michigan State basketball team stands. If you were to tell me that at this point in the season Michigan State would be 7-4 (1-1 in the Big Ten), I would be ecstatic. Issues with depth and injury have reared their ugly head early in the season, but hey, that is basketball.

While there are many different takeaways from the season so far, here are my five early season observations.

Tom Izzo said during the offseason that Tyson Walker is a player who would greatly benefit from having a year in the program after transferring in from Northeastern, and boy, was he right. Walker has been a completely different player this year in many facets.

For most of the season last year, Walker was a player that seemed to be timid and thinking too much, but that player is no more. Walker has doubled his 2-point attempts per game, 3-point attempts per game, and his scoring has increased from 8.2 to 14 points per game.

He is doing this all while shooting 44% from the field and 40% from deep. This is not only paying dividends for Tyson personally, but has done wonders for Michigan’s State offense.

Having a guard with not only the ability to play-make for himself, but also others, makes the offense so much more dynamic. Most importantly, though, when it is winning time, MSU has a player who can have the ball in his hands and can make plays, which is something the Spartans have lacked in recent years.

Every golfer has their favorite club that they always use and can count on. While this doesn't apply to me, which is evident by my handicap, if I did have a club that was Ol’ Reliable I would name it Joey Hauser.

For one of the most ridiculed players in his time here at Michigan State, Hauser has quietly been Michigan State’s most reliable player this year. Hauser is averaging 14 points and eight rebounds per game, while shooting 47% from the field, 43% from 3-point range, and 88% from the free-throw line.

Yet, when people speak about Hauser, it seems to be in a negative light. Michigan State fans need to realize what they have in Hauser and appreciate him. They say the best ability is availability, well I say it's reliability. If he continues this play and Michigan State finds team success in the Big Ten, I think Ol'Reliable will find his way on to a All-Big Ten team

The center position was one of concern coming into the season and so far I find myself disappointed even with the pretty low expectations this position had.

Mady Sissoko burst onto the scene with huge games versus Gonzaga and Kentucky to start the year, but he has since returned back to earth. Though Sissoko continues to show improvements as the season goes on, he is still a work in progress.

The other two centers in the rotation are Jaxon Kohler and Carson Cooper. Both of these true freshmen have looked like, well, true freshmen so far. The game seems too fast for them both physically and mentally at times, which for a true freshman is not uncommon to a degree. In a normal year I think that Kohler and Cooper would be prime candidates to redshirt, but unfortunately with the roster construction this is not possible.

If the center position continues to be an area where Michigan State is not getting production, it would be interesting to see how head coach Tom Izzo navigates that. Small ball seems to be the best option, but with the gauntlet of big men in the Big Ten Conference, you are in for a battle defensively and rebounding.

If small ball is the way Michigan State goes, the Spartans must make up for the lack of defensive rebounding and size by taking advantage of mismatches on the offensive end when bigger slower players check the likes of Malik Hall (when healthy) or Hauser. Players like Hunter Dickinson might get theirs, but he will be in hell trying to guard Hall on the perimeter or chase Hauser off a down screen.

OK, if given the option, yes, I would like more depth with this basketball team, but with that said the situation could be a lot worse.

A great way to overcome depth issues is getting big time contributions from your main guys. Walker, Hauser, Hall, and AJ Hoggard are a four-headed monster that when playing to their potential can hang with anyone in the Big Ten.

The recent slide with Hall being injured is not a coincidence. For this team to reach its ceiling, MSU must have these four guys healthy and playing to the level that they are capable of. Get well soon, Malik.

All summer we heard about the Big Ten Conference being down. So far this season it seems that demise of the Big Ten was greatly exaggerated in a couple ways.

First off, the Big Ten is good, the conference currently has the No. 1 ranked team in the country in Purdue while teams such as Indiana, Illinois and Ohio State find themselves in the Associated Press top-25. What makes it even better is that along with the Big Ten being good, it's also going to be a battle to see where teams end up in the conference.

Outside of Minnesota and Northwestern it is really hard to predict where any team will finish. Purdue, which is currently atop the Big Ten and the country, narrowly escaped on the road against Nebraska in a game where the Cornhuskers really should have won. Preseason favorites in Illinois and Indiana find themselves at 0-2 and 1-1, respectively, in the Big Ten.

In summary it is there for the taking for this Michigan State team. Coach Izzo and his team have an identity and a core group of top-four players that I would put up against any team in the conference. The opportunity is there for this team to compete for a top-four finish in the Big Ten, and maybe even a Big Ten title.