The pieces are starting to click.
While it may have been later than most fans had hoped for, there are elements of the Michigan State men's basketball squad that are now starting to mesh and it displays a complete team.
That was evident in Wednesday’s 80-72 victory over Penn State, Michigan State’s second road win of the season. Guard Tyson Walker, the Spartans' leading scorer this season, only put up six points, ending his streak of 35 consecutive games scoring in double-digits (most by any player in the Tom Izzo era), yet the Spartans still won handily.
It helped that forward Malik Hall scored a career-high 29 points and guard Jaden Akins scored 20 points and made four of the team’s six 3-pointers.
Despite the six-point performance, Walker wasn’t too worried about his streak ending
“Honestly, I didn’t even look at the rim, for real,” Walker said about the Penn State game. “I probably could’ve took some shots. Everybody else had it going, so it’s fine. Everybody has a day like that. (I'm) not really worried about it.”
On Thursday, Walker was named to the Naismith College Player of the Year Midseason Team, an award that’s handed out to the top men’s player of the season. However, he is more focused on the team winning games as opposed to individual accolades.
“It really starts with winning,” Walker said. “You don’t get anything if you don’t win. Just focusing on winning and good things will happen.”
Jaden Akins' consistency
After a slow start to the 2023-2024 season, Akins has started to establish some consistency from 3-point range. He’s shot at least 44% from downtown in four of the last five games, dating back to the first meeting with in-state rival Michigan Wolverines, whom the Spartans will play on Saturday night.
“Jaden is as good of a deep shooter as we got,” Izzo said about Akins. “If we could ever get him and Tyson (Walker) at the same time, and A.J. (Hoggard) doing what a good point guard does and that’s getting it to those guys (we would be strong). With Malik (Hall) playing better and then center by committee, it’s not always pretty, but we’re starting to get more points and more rebounds at that position, that’s how we’ll get better.”
Akins’ teammates are noticing the effect he has on the team when he makes shots from beyond the arc.
“It’s definitely valuable,” point guard A.J. Hoggard added regarding Akins hitting his shots. “That’s what we expect from Jaden. That’s what he needs to bring to us. He’s done a good job on both sides of the ball. He definitely opens the floor up for everybody when he’s hitting and doing the things that he’s been doing lately. He makes it a lot easier for all of us.”
Transition game
Defend, rebound and run has long been Michigan State’s identity under Izzo. It’s clearly defined, yet sometimes not so eloquently executed.
However, Michigan State has also established some rhythm lately in the running game. The Spartans have scored in double-digits in fast-break points in four of their last five games. That has also resulted in Michigan State’s bigs being put in better positions to score, if they run.
“Our bigs are starting to run,” Izzo explained. “We didn’t feel like they did a very good job running and they’re starting to run more. And they’re realizing, if they run, they’ll get the ball.”
With different aspects of the team starting to develop consistency, the Spartans could very well be a dangerous team once all the pieces start to click at peak efficiency.
What would that team exactly look like?
“Somebody you don’t want to run into,” Hoggard said with conviction.
Previewing Michigan
The Wolverines sit at the bottom of the Big Ten by a full game. Juwan Howard’s team is 3-11 in Big Ten play and 8-17 overall this season. Michigan has been competitive in many games, but second-half collapses have come to define the team. The Wolverines have led at halftime in 10 of their 14 Big Ten games thus far, yet they only have three conference wins.
One of the major challenges Michigan has faced this season is the suspension of point guard Dug McDaniel for away games due to his academic standing. That presents a unique challenge for Howard and even the team’s that have to go up against Michigan in Ann Arbor.
“They’re a completely different team,” Izzo said about playing Michigan with McDaniel. “It’s been a strange year for him (Howard). I sympathize with him on this standpoint. You got your best player out, in half the games, out half the games. It’s gotta be very, very, very difficult. Something most of us have never ever gone through.”
The players also know that Michigan is a different team with McDaniel, the Wolverines' leading scorer. Walker added that McDaniel is “real good on the ball” and “really aggressive in transition."
Hoggard noted that the Wolverine can play faster with McDaniel on the court, and that he can cause problems on the fast break.
“It definitely changes their pace,” Hoggard said regarding Michigan with McDaniel. “With him, he’s a speed guard. He plays with speed and he plays with an open court. We gotta do a good job of corralling him and making sure he doesn’t get out in transition. He definitely changes the dynamic for them. He gives them explosion at the point guard spot, so we definitely gotta do a good job on him.”
Hoggard is in his fourth season in East Lansing. He’s never won in Ann Arbor, something he’s determined to change.
“I definitely want to go down there and get a win,” Hoggard said. “I haven’t got one yet. So gotta go down there and find a way to win.”
Michigan State and Michigan will tip off from the Crisler Center at 8 p.m. Eastern Time on Saturday. The game can be watched on FOX.