Michigan State basketball: 4 takeaways from physical win over Maryland

Michigan State basketball was back in action on Saturday, looking for a season sweep against Maryland. What are the takeaways from this win?

Michigan State basketball (13-8) was back in action on Saturday following a victory against in-state foe Michigan earlier in the week. They faced off against the Maryland Terrapins whom they beat in a nailbiter out east last month. After notching win No. 700, Tom Izzo was looking to continue his legacy against the 13-8 Terps. Both teams entered tied in the Big Ten standings, and a win today would move them ahead of Northwestern following the Wildcats’ loss to Minnesota.

In a physical contest, the Spartans won, 63-54.

Neither team gave an inch defensively, and that led to Izzo apologizing for a “grinder of a game.” He mentioned it being like old times, of gridiron on the court. He was exactly correct. The Spartans scratched and clawed their way to a victory, with a final five minutes of basketball that truly ended the game strong. In part due to a 12-0 run, Michigan State basketball walked away with a nine-point victory.

What’d we learn?

1. As expected, this was a defensive game

This game was advertised as a defensive showcase, and it lived up to expectations. Points were at a premium, and that was proven. By the under-12 media timeout at 11:26, the teams had combined for 22. The Spartans spread the scoring better than Maryland with Tyson Walker, AJ Hoggard, Coen Carr, Mady Sissoko, and Malik Hall. Meanwhile, 23 of the Terrapins’ 27 first-half points came through Jahmir Young and Donta Scott.

Michigan State led the whole half, but Maryland kept going to Scott and Young to keep the game close. Each of the two Terrapins had over 10 points at the half. Each of them nailed a three when MSU was looking to break the game open to an eight or 10-point advantage. A halftime score of 31-27 was slightly higher than what I expected, but still similar to the output projected heading into this game.

The second-half start corrected that. It appeared rim covers were installed at half. At the under-12, it was 36-33. Neither team could hit a shot, and the Spartans were sending passes into the third row. We then saw a flurry of scoring, and it was 41-38 in favor of MSU before Maryland took another timeout.

Maryland came out of the timeout and even took the lead, but then the game flipped. Tom Izzo called the middle 30 minutes of the game a poor shooting game for the Spartans. In those final five, Malik Hall and Tyson Walker heated up to decide the game. Even then, the Spartans barely outscored their efforts against the Terps last month, with 63 points tonight.

Hall and Izzo each called the team the top defensive team in the Big Ten, and I believe we all can agree on this. Hall said he would be sore tomorrow in the locker room post-game, and Carson Cooper was not exactly speed walking up the stairs when the media was led into the locker room for interviews. The Spartans were forced into bad turnovers and gaffes that helped keep Maryland in the game.

However, the Michigan State basketball defense was strong. Izzo would rag on the offensive woes in his post-game press conference, and then have a glowing review of the defense. The Spartans added five blocks, including a career-high three by Carson Cooper. Tre Holloman has turned into a defensive sensation recently. Holloman and Jaden Akins are making teams not have a rest no matter which player is in. Add in Tyson Walker being a walking steal threat, and Hoggard being fundamentally sound, and it is not a fun time to be an opposing guard. Jahmir Young had 31 points, but that was courtesy of 22 shots and nine trips to the charity stripe.

How is this for a stat? Only three Terrapins made a field goal. Only five Terps even scored in Saturday’s contest with the final scorer, Julian Reese, cashing two free throws in with two minutes left.

2. Michigan State basketball started fast

On the break, Mady Sissoko was all over the box sheet. He won the tip, scored the first two points, had a rebound, and racked up an assist for the next MSU basket. The Spartans also forced an early timeout from Maryland. Every time Michigan State basketball looked to be cruising to a comfortable lead, Maryland always found a way to make this a game. Izzo addressed this, saying that a quick turnover at 14-5 that led to a Young layup deflated the team. It was a momentum-shifting play that turned this game from a potential runaway game into a slow grinder.

Tyson Walker had an early 10, and the Spartans spread the ball out. The Spartans had no main threat besides Walker, but when nearly every player to hit the court contributed a bucket, it did not matter. As it turned out, all nine Spartans to touch the court scored.

Maryland’s Scott and Young kept making this game close, but MSU received clutch plays from Walker and Hall to keep this game in the Spartans’ favor. Izzo mentioned that Scott’s early 3-pointers scared him to start.

The early advantage helped sustain the Spartans when Young heated up for five straight, and it helped them remain in the lead at the half, 31-27.

3. It was a battle of the guards

Guard play was heavily emphasized heading into the game, and we saw a lot of that in the first half. Walker was at 10 points before the under-eight timeout. Side note: this tied him with the school record for consecutive double-digit scoring games. Young and Walker each ended half tied at 12 points. Hoggard added four points and four rebounds.

Out of the half, it was still the Walker vs. Young show. They would trade baskets. Young got sent to the line multiple times, including one where Walker fouled his counterpart. Young hit 20 with nine minutes left, and Walker was sitting at 15.

Young ultimately had 31 points, but the final seven, or so, points came with a three-plus-possession lead. Walker added in four more at the end to bring him to 19, and they helped dissuade Maryland from having any chance of coming back. Izzo was very complimentary of the guard, saying, “When the game was on the line, he reminded me of (Mateen) Cleaves. When the game was on the line, he was going to take a shot.”

In a way, this game was a tale of opposites. Young started cold and ended hot. Walker started hot, scoring 12 early, but ended with seven second-half points.

AJ Hoggard was the difference for Michigan State basketball in the battle of the guards. Despite only having four points for most of the game, he was all over the stat sheet. Hoggard led the team in rebounds at half and had five assists by the under-eight. He fed Sissoko for a dunk to help the Spartans reclaim the lead and the momentum. In the blink of an eye, the Spartans turned this from a single-point advantage into a multi-possession lead. Hoggard added a steal and the ensuing layup made the game up to nine. He finished with six points, five rebounds, and eight assists. Izzo credited Hoggard, Walker, and Hall as the players who turned this around and did “good things”.

Speaking of Hall…

4. Malik Hall was the difference

A fourth takeaway? Unusual for me, I know. Hall came alive in the second half and helped change the game around late. He took over the game once Maryland got the lead. He hit free throws, post shots, and drew fouls. He wound up tying Walker for the team-high 19 points. After he missed two free throws in the second half, Hall was right back on the line after being fouled in the bonus. He hit both, and all momentum was on the Spartans’ side.

Another big point of emphasis by both Hall and Izzo in their post-game quotes was Malik’s seven rebounds. Hall mentioned seven being a nice number for rebounds, with “double digits being the ultimate goal, but seven is nice.” He also called this a physical game and said that his teammates played a major part in his scoring, with them finding him open.

Another point that they emphasized was Hall being challenged by Izzo at half. Izzo wanted more out of Hall, and he challenged the senior. Hall said he was not as fiery in a reply to Izzo, instead taking it to heart and having his play show he listened. Izzo mentioned many times in his post-game presser that he was “extremely happy” with how Hall responded. Hall credited his faith as helping keep him grounded, and also mentioned how his goal is to be “not too high, but not too low.”

Ben Johnson, Minnesota’s head coach, called Hall a “presence player” and difference maker after January’s matchup. Once again, Hall was the presence for Michigan State basketball on Saturday night. He took the second half and made it his own, dominating the final five minutes.

Minnesota gets to face Hall again, but this time the Gophers will be playing host. They face the Spartans on Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET.