A.J. Hoggard, Michigan State need to bring 'A-game' versus No. 10 Illinois

Figuratively, Michigan State has its back up against the wall.

The Spartans had bought themselves some breathing room by winning 10 of their last 13 games after a 4-5 start to the season, but Tuesday’s loss to Minnesota has MSU on the ropes once again. Another loss to an inferior opponent could result in Michigan State being a bubble team in the NCAA Tournament picture.

Against the Golden Gophers, the Spartans had a 45-36 lead before Minnesota went on a 23-11 run in the final 13 minutes of the game to win by a final score of 59-56. The Spartans were out-rebounded 31-28 and Minnesota guard Cam Christie was hot from downtown in the second half (4-for-5).

However, one of the biggest frustrations for Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo was the free-throw shooting. MSU was an abysmal 7-for-17 (41.2%) from the free-throw line.

“I’m more mad after looking at it,” Izzo said about the Minnesota game after he watched the film. “I really am, make no bones about it. There’s times where our offense (went) completely stagnant and we took bad shots.”

Star guard and Michigan State’s leading scorer Tyson Walker leaving the game briefly with an injury coincided with Minnesota’s run in the second half. Walker slipped on the defensive end and re-aggravated an already pulled groin. He went to the locker room, but was seen on the bench and in the huddle minutes later. Walker only missed a little over three minutes of game time, but in that span, Minnesota went on a 7-0 run and only trailed by two points when Walker re-entered the game around the nine-minute mark.

Michigan State point guard A.J. Hoggard, a veteran player in his fourth year in East Lansing, took responsibility for the team’s poor performance in the second half.

“I didn’t do a good job of getting us good shots in that timeframe,” Hoggard said after practice on Thursday. “I gotta be better in that situation, especially when Tyson (Walker) goes down like that in those stretches. We gotta be better at looking for better shots, so I gotta put guys in better positions and make sure we’re not just in shot clock situations where we’re having to heave the ball up late.”

Walker has been battling injuries all season. He had shin splints, an illness that forced him to miss a game and now a re-aggravated pulled groin.

As a result, Izzo kept Walker out of practice on Thursday, despite Walker wanting to practice with the team.

“He wanted to practice,” Izzo said about Walker. “We let him practice a little bit early, go over some stuff. I just kept him out. I think he knows his stuff. He’s gonna play enough minutes. So that all falls on me, not him. He wanted to go. I said he’s not going. Not because I’m worried about it, just because of this freakin' schedule. He needs a day.”

Walker has gotten beat up this season more than most guys on Michigan State’s roster. Sometimes, that comes with being on the smaller side and being the team’s best scorer. Walker has shown his toughness throughout the campaign as he’s only missed one game.

“He’s got great toughness,” Izzo said about Walker. “I think he’s grown in that. I don’t think he was very tough when he got here, my own opinion, you can ask him. But I think he’s gotten tougher.”

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No. 10 Illinois is a different team than what the Spartans saw in Champaign on Jan. 11, a 71-68 loss. Now, the Fighting Illini have leading scorer Terrance Shannon Jr. back. The senior guard has scored in double-digits in every game he’s played this season. The 6-foot-6 Shannon will present a challenge for Michigan State, especially defensively.

“They’re different,” Izzo said about Illinois with Shannon versus without Shannon. “They’re different mostly in transition. He just puts his head down. He’s a locomotive on the tracks. He just puts his head down and goes.”

Illinois’ transition game is something that the Spartans are preparing for. They are also preparing for Shannon’s explosiveness and Illinois’ ability to grab offensive boards, an area in which Michigan State has struggled at times this season.

“We gotta be on top of our A-game in everything that we do,” Hoggard said. “Gotta focus on the transition defense and focus on rebounding, definitely want to keep them off the offensive glass.”

Sticking to the team’s identity is going to be a key for Michigan State on Saturday. The Spartans can’t get caught up in Illinois' fast-paced transition game. Izzo added that it’s going to be a “helter skelter” game.

“With (forward, Ty) Rodgers and, of course, Shannon, you have two of the more elite athletes in the whole country and they’re bringing it at you,” Izzo said about Illinois’ fast-break offense. “Yeah. I think you do gotta be disciplined. You gotta get back. If A.J. (Hoggard) forgets to get back or Tyson (Walker) forgets to get back, we’re in trouble. We gotta build a wall, that’s what we gotta do, that’s what we've worked on.”

Michigan State hosts Illinois inside the Breslin Center on Saturday with tipoff set for approximately 2 p.m. Eastern Time on CBS. The Spartans likely will face their lone chance to get a top-10 win at the Breslin Center this season.

“We gotta figure out ways to win and stop figuring out ways to lose,” Hoggard said.

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