Michigan State Basketball: 3 takeaways from North Carolina loss

Michigan State basketball is entering the offseason a bit earlier than we wanted. The Spartans fell to Tom Izzo’s March kryptonite, UNC.

The season is over. Michigan State basketball fell to North Carolina in the Round of 32 on Saturday night, 85-69. This makes Tom Izzo 0-6 all-time against UNC in the postseason.

Both teams entered Saturday’s game looking to keep their NCAA title hopes alive, and the first quarter of the game had the Spartans well on their way. However, the game spiraled after that opening run, and the Spartans again saw their season end at the hands of North Carolina.

This marks the end of the storied careers of three 1,000-point scorers for Michigan State basketball: Tyson Walker, AJ Hoggard, and Malik Hall.

1. Michigan State basketball fell apart, twice

With 8:09 left in the first half, Malik Hall made a layup, giving the Spartans 28 points in the first 11:51. They would only score three the rest of the half. Tyson Walker was clicking on offense, AJ Hoggard had an early three, and Mady Sissoko added four points off the bench.

Then, UNC ripped off 23 points in the final 8:09 of that same half, and the Spartans went from a 12-point lead to trailing by nine at the break.

Out of half, following a few UNC buckets, the Spartans roared back into the game. Jaden Akins added nine points at the start of the half, and MSU was within 2-4 points for a few minutes. However, North Carolina went on a run, again, and the Spartans were unable to trim the gap beyond making it a 9-point deficit a time or two.

Much like the rest of the season, this team gave us hope at points and also behaved exactly as we have gotten used to over the last four months. Even up 12, we were all ready for the lead to be blown. Sure enough, a 23-3 run later, and the Spartans would never lead again.

2. Guard play was split into two categories: good and terrible

Heading into Saturday, a key point for the Spartans was to win with their guards. With seniors AJ Hoggard and Tyson Walker, junior Jaden Akins, and sophomore standout Tre Holloman, we expected them to be able to hold it down. In the case of Akins (11 points, a team-high three offensive boards) and Walker (24 points on 16 shots and two steals), that was the case. Both had sections where they took over and carried the team on a run.

However, Tre Holloman and Hoggard had their worst games of the season. Hoggard had at least 5-6 layups blocked or missed and never went to the free throw line, with his early three being his only made shot and points. Additionally, Hoggard was careless at points, with one of his three turnovers starting UNC’s 23-3 run at the end of the first half. In his defense, he did struggle with cramps at points in the second half. He also added a frustration foul after his final missed layup, and that might have been one of his last plays in a Spartan uniform.

As someone who has defended Hoggard for a long time and sat through his post-game interviews when covering the Spartans this season, seeing it end like that for the Pennsylvania native hurt.

Holloman has been outstanding the last few weeks of the season, playing some of his best basketball in the Big Ten Tournament. In the NCAA Tournament, however, that was not the case. Holloman looked lost on the court Saturday, with three turnovers and only adding two points. Additionally, Holloman picked up four fouls in his limited action. This was just not his night. At points, he was downright unplayable. After the last two weeks he had and the promise he has shown, I will not be holding this against Holloman heading into next season.

3. There need to be changes this offseason

This season had so much hype heading into it, and all of us were looking forward to a near-30-win season and a run in March. Instead, the team will finish 20-15 with a Round of 32 exit. We had signs of growth, mostly with the emergence of Holloman and the Xavier Booker minutes increasing alongside his production. Even opposing coaches (Brad Underwood of Illinois, Fran McCaffery of Iowa) talked about game-planning for the Spartans and MSU having “little to no production from the five.”

Hoggard and Mady Sissoko (along with Davis Smith, but his post on X indicates Saturday was his last time in the No. 14) have decisions to make on if they will return for one more year. Both players have seen the ugly side of Michigan State Twitter (just look under the replies to the tweet where their status is up in the air). Regardless, both have veteran experience that I would be OK with bringing back, with some changes. However, I do not think that either has earned the spot to be a starter next season.

Additionally, I think the team needs new blood in the portal, likely meaning at least one will have to leave. Xavier Booker will be back, per his quotes. The only guaranteed losses are Smith, Tyson Walker, Malik Hall, and everyone’s favorite, Steven Izzo.

Speaking of Walker and Hall, Michigan State basketball loses its two best players from this season. Walker was averaging 20 points a night prior to injury, and it appeared he was back to form in the last five or so games. He had prolific numbers, and it could be a long time before a three-year player comes close to his green-and-white stats.

Hall turned it up for the second half of the year. He became a player that was 10-20 points a night and consistently grabbed half a dozen or more boards. Hall had his “Joey Houser redemption arc” and became a fan favorite. Both he and Walker will be missed.

That leaves Tom Izzo with his incoming class of three players, and two question marks. By my calculations, Michigan State basketball has two scholarships remaining if Sissoko and Hoggard do not come back. Izzo seemed doubtful Hoggard would come back, as did Hoggard himself earlier in the year. After the Michigan victory at the Crisler Center, he said it had felt nice to finally beat them there in his last time out. There is at least one scholarship open if Hoggard does not return.

Allow me to say that Izzo must use the portal.

In his post-game comments, Izzo seemed committed to the change, if the posts on X are to be believed. I hope he is aggressive in the portal and the staff finds another Walker, Bryn Forbes, or Houser-level player to contribute to this team.

We will see Michigan State basketball back in action in seven-ish months, likely with an exhibition game against a local lower-level Michigan school. My too-early predictions of a starting five could be an article for next month.