Michigan State basketball: 3 quick thoughts from win over Georgia Southern

Michigan State basketball picked up a comfortable win over Georgia Southern on Tuesday night. Here are my thoughts.

After a relatively strong performance in a blowout of Georgia Southern, Michigan State basketball is back above the .500 mark.

The Spartans didn’t exactly look like world-beaters against the Eagles, led by first-year head coach Charlie Henry (shoutout to my former Madonna basketball camp counselor), but the defense came to play and the offense wasn’t too shabby either.

I hesitate to call this a complete performance because there were some really shaky lapses on both ends of the floor, but this was one of those “shake off the rust” games. Tom Izzo has some work to do before the Spartans get a break from non-conference play to face a couple of Big Ten foes.

Here are some of my thoughts on the Spartans’ blowout win.

1. Free throws were atrocious

I know, starting off my thoughts with a negative despite the Spartans winning 86-55, but this was a disappointing showing. Well, that and the defense in the second half, but mostly the free throws.

Not much to say here, but 19-for-30 is unacceptable and it was only that good because Davis Smith hit two free throws late to improve the percentage. We can’t have Malik Hall going 5-for-10 and others splitting a pair or missing the front end of a 1-and-1. Can’t keep happening.

2. It’s good to see Jaden Akins playing aggressively

One of the players that I think everyone expected to break out and become a star this year was Jaden Akins. He was entertaining the NBA draft last year but decided to come back and everyone assumed he would just become a pro overnight. He has had his struggles, but he’s getting that confidence back. Akins looked like a different player on Tuesday night with 14 points on 6-for-10 shooting to go along with six boards. He’s been strong on the glass all season, but it was good to see him hunting his own shot.

We all want a more aggressive Akins.

3. Tre Holloman, AJ Hoggard responded well to Izzo’s message

We saw AJ Hoggard take a seat to start the game on Tuesday and it seemed like it was a message from Tom Izzo. Tre Holloman was given his second start of the season and he took full advantage. While he didn’t score until the second half, he finished with seven points and 10 assists. Yes, the backup point guard finished with 10 assists and just two turnovers.

Hoggard, too, was solid after a shaky start when he entered the game. He finished with 12 points, four assists, and three steals.

This was a great game for both point guards and it’ll just make Michigan State basketball stronger in the long run.