The Michigan State men's basketball team is in the middle of a back-to-back road stretch as the Spartans will take on the first place Wisconsin Badgers on Friday night.
In the previous meeting, the Badgers dominated on the glass at the Breslin Center. They out-rebounded the Spartans 36-22 in their 70-57 victory.
MSU head coach Tom Izzo noted in his press conference on Tuesday that rebounding will be a “point of emphasis” against Wisconsin considering the previous meeting against the Badgers and the fact that MSU was also out-rebounded against Maryland 37-22 in its last game (a contest the Spartans still won, 61-59).
Another factor that played into Wisconsin’s win in the first meeting against the Spartans was the lights out 3-point shooting from players that you least expect to shoot well from beyond the arc.
Steven Crowl, who’s only made four 3-point field goals against other Big Ten opponents, was 4-for-4 from downtown against the Spartans in the first matchup. Additionally, AJ Storr is a 31.8% 3-point shooter this season, but he went 4-for-6 from 3-point land against the Spartans.
“Sometimes, things like that happen, but this is a very good team, a very solid team,” Izzo said about the uncharacteristically good shooting by Crowl and Storr in the first game. “They don’t turn the ball over. Ironically, we have done a great job of not turning the ball over … they’ve won four of their last five, tough place to play in Madison.”
Even if Crowl and Storr don’t shoot as well as they did in December, Wisconsin is still a dangerous team that sits atop the Big Ten standings with a 7-1 conference record.
Izzo noted that the Badgers are “good at all positions” and have “some depth.” On top of that, he reiterated that the Kohl Center in Madison is a “tough place to play,” especially against a “well-coached” team like Greg Gard’s squad.
It is important to note that in the previous meeting, forward Malik Hall did not practice in the days before that game. He was sick the whole week before, showed up to the shootaround the day of the game and felt good enough to play.
His play reflected that he was far from 100% as he recorded two points, three rebounds and three assists. This time around, Hall has played some of his best basketball of the season over the past few games. Hall has recorded double-digit points and at least five boards in six of the last seven games.
Hall’s also been a leader and a calming presence in the locker room and on the court.
“It’s a sign of maturity in my mind,” Izzo said about Hall’s stretch of play after recording zero points against Northwestern. “Leadership, to be very honest with you, in my simplest terms, is leading other people around you to be better than they actually could be. That to me is leadership. When you bring other people to a different level.
"If you’re just taking care of yourself, that’s maturity. I think he’s had a little bit of both. He does lead quietly in practice and that. But when he’s communicating on the court and really leading, he’s a really good player.”
Health of the Team
Against Maryland, guard Jaden Akins sustained a left ankle injury late in the first half. He limped off the floor. However, he returned in the second half. Michigan State was off on Monday, and on Tuesday, Izzo noted that he “seems to be good.”
Izzo elaborated a bit on Akins' status.
“I think he’ll practice today even if it’s limited,” Izzo said about Akins on Tuesday. “But I don’t think it’s anything, he went back in and played. I don’t think it’s anything our trainers are worried about. And yet he wasn’t the same then, but he played through it. I give him a lot of credit for that.”
Freshman guard Jeremy Fears Jr. is on the road to recovery, not only physically, but mentally and emotionally as well. He was shot in his hometown of Joliet, Illinois back in late December.
Izzo has no timeline for Fears and when he will get back on the court, but Fears did get off the crutches a week ago.
“I’ve always been impressed that he’s got leadership qualities,” Izzo said about Fears. “I mean, he can sit there right now at practice and he can hear the scouting report and he can reiterate everything. He can come into me in a game or in a huddle and he can actually tell guys stuff. He’s got an incredible sense.
“I thought he would be more distraught than he is. I mean, I think he’s accepted that that’s the way it is. He’s been positive, working out every day, sitting in a chair and shooting. I’ve been really impressed with how he’s handled (it) ... a lot's been taken away from him. I think mentally, emotionally, physically, he’s done everything you can do and there’s not been many down days, which I wouldn’t have done as good of a job as he’s done. I’ve been very impressed with Jeremy, how he’s handled things, how he’s still stayed engaged with the players, the team. I think that says a lot about his leadership qualities.
"That’s going to be beneficial once he comes back, end of the year, next year, whenever it is. He’s starting to run a little bit on the treadmill, underwater. He’s starting to do a few more things. He’s way ahead of where I thought he would be. Not that I really knew because I haven’t gone through something like this. But from what I thought, he’s just made incredible progress and his mental approach to things, mentally tough kid.”
Fears is also making a positive impression with his voice on his teammates, especially the ball handlers like guard A.J. Hoggard.
“I don’t know if I could’ve done that good of a job, to be honest,” Hoggard said about Fears. “He’s done a wonderful job using his voice. He still comes in there and shows me things that he sees from the bench. As the point guard on the floor, he helps me with reads sometimes. He just constantly been communicating how he was while he was playing. He didn’t let anything affect his voice. He’s still using it at a high level and it helps tremendously.”