AJ Hoggard wanted to “put the world back on notice” vs. Baylor

Michigan State guard AJ Hoggard wanted to put the world on notice against Baylor on Saturday, and he did just that.

Saturday was the last chance for Michigan State to pick up a ranked non-conference win to build that NCAA Tournament resume down the line — and AJ Hoggard knew it.

The Michigan State point guard felt a sense of urgency on Saturday and it showed in his play, finishing with 14 points, five assists, three steals, and two rebounds. He did have four turnovers, but his overall play was aggressive, so Tom Izzo can live with those.

Hoggard and the Spartans put a beating on No. 6 Baylor, 88-64. And his confidence has remained sky-high throughout the rough patch and it shined through after the win on Saturday afternoon. He talked about putting “the world back on notice” and said that the Spartans wanted to let people know that their preseason expectations were valid.

A.J. Hoggard: “We had to make a statement win to put the world back on notice and let people know that their predictions at the beginning of the year weren’t wrong."

— Kyle Austin (@kylebaustin) December 16, 2023

The point guard really led the way as a veteran leader and looked like one of the best players on the floor. He looked like his old self much like the rest of the team. The Spartans rolled, scoring 88 points against the 9-0 Baylor Bears who were ranked No. 6. The Little Caesars Arena crowd definitely took notice as did the national audience.

Did Michigan State make a statement? Absolutely. AJ was right, he wanted to make a statement and put the “world” back on notice and he did just that. Anyone who tuned in to this game saw a team that could beat just about anyone in college basketball. This was as complete of a performance as I can remember from Michigan State. It was dominant from start to finish with the final result never in doubt.

The doubters were piling up for the Spartans and Hoggard and Co. silenced them on Saturday afternoon. This is the team we expected this year.