The Big Ten Conference announced it 2023-2024 Preseason All-Big Ten men's basketball team on Friday. Michigan State had two representatives on the 10-man team in guards A.J. Hoggard and Tyson Walker.
In 2022-2023, Walker led the Spartans in scoring with 14.8 points per hgame. He played all 34 games for Michigan State, and also averaged 2.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.1 steals per game, while shooting 45.9% overall from the field and 41.5% from 3-point range.
Hoggard also played in all 34 games for MSU last season, and averaged 12.9 points, 5.9 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game. Hoggard's 201 total assists ranked second in the Big Ten last season.
Walker (second-team), Hoggard (third-team) and forward Joey Hauser (honorable mention) each received All-Big Ten honors in 2022-2023.
In April, Walker announced that he would return for a fifth year of college eligibility (and third year in East Lansing) in 2023-2024. Also in April, Hoggard declared for the 2023 NBA Draft and went through the process to get feedback before withdrawing in late May, as did fellow guard Jaden Akins.
Joining Hoggard and Walker on the 2023-2024 Preseason All-Big Ten squad is Purdue center Zach Edey, Illinois guard Terrence Shannon Jr., Maryland forward Julian Reese, Maryland guard Jahmir Young, Minnesota forward Dawson Garcia, Nebraska guard Keisei Tominaga, Northwestern guard Boo Buie and Rutgers center Clifford Omoruyi.
Unsurprisingly, Edey was named as the 2023-2024 Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year, as chosen by a media panel. Edey also won the Big Ten Player of the Year award for 2022-2023, along with Naismith College Player of the Year honors and receiving several other national accolades last year.