Michigan State basketball: Ideal starting 5 heading into NCAA Tournament

What is the ideal starting lineup for Michigan State basketball as the NCAA Tournament approaches in a couple of weeks?

I’m not going to pretend to be a basketball expert. From and Xs and Os perspective, I’m a first grader put in a college statistics class. That said, I feel like there have been some glaring differences in some of the lineups Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo has put on the floor.

On one hand, we have seniors who have struggled to make any sort of improvement and honestly, you could probably argue that they actually regressed.  On the other hand, you have two elite freshman who are healthy, and a sophomore point guard who has developed a jumper and leveled up his game. For some reason though, Izzo continues to lean on a starting rotation of AJ Hoggard, Tyson Walker, Jaden Akins, Malik Hall, and Mady Sissoko.

• Hoggard/Sissoko have struggled mightily
• Akins didn’t make the jump we were all expecting
• Hall has been streaky
• Walker is obviously dealing with an injury

Now that the calendar has turned to March, given the way the last four years have gone, are we still referring to this month as Izzo’s?

Tournament time is right around the corner (Big Ten Tournament, at the very least) and I wanted to ‘socialize’ a question. Now, I’m not claiming to have the right answer, and neither should you. Heck, our Hall of Fame head coach doesn’t even know the answer.

What is the ideal starting lineup for MSU hoops heading into the tourney?

The analytics say the starting five Michigan State’s trotted out there for the majority of the year is nowhere near its best. I feel like I come across a new chart daily that highlights how much better Michigan State basketball is with Booker on the floor.

michigan state – when tyson walker & aj hoggard play w/ mady sissoko vs. when they play w/ freshman xavier booker, who tom izzo only plays 8 minutes per game pic.twitter.com/e30hi19BTu

— Jay Cuda (@JayCuda) March 4, 2024

Jay Cuda via Twitter (X) shares some of my favorite content on the entire internet. Most of it humorous, but this one hits different. Just swapping out Sissoko with Booker alongside Hoggard and Walker, you see a huge difference.

I won’t lie, Booker struggles against some of the bigger centers in the league. He had a rough go against Purdue’s Zach Edey. But what he lacks in defense, he makes up for on the offensive side of the ball by spreading out the floor. Since Booker has a legit 3-point shot, it forces the opponent’s center away from the basket to guard him. I get secondhand embarrassment when our other centers are beyond the arc and there’s no one even within 15 feet of them. The extra body down low clogs everything up.

Booker opens driving lanes for Walker, Hoggard, and others.

Theoretically let’s say Izzo makes the switch. This is your new starting lineup:

• AJ Hoggard
• Tyson Walker
• Jaden Akins
• Malik Hall
• Xavier Booker

Although I think this is better, I still see a hole. It’s in the point guard position. I would be a billionaire if I had $1 for every time Hoggard drove hard to the basket but failed to finish. It just isn’t the same ‘dawg’ mentality we saw from No. 11 in last year’s Sweet 16 run. So what is the fix?

Sophomore Tre Holloman.

Known for his elite defense as a freshman, Holloman developed a jumper this offseason and has established himself as a legit 3-point threat. Sure, he doesn’t have the same experience as Hoggard does but does that matter at this point? If there’s no production, there’s no reason for him to be on the floor regardless of tenure.

This is what I think Michigan State’s primary rotation needs to be starting as soon as possible.

• Tre Holloman
• Tyson Walker
• Jaden Akins
• Malik Hall
• Xavier Booker

Again, I don’t claim to actually know anything but from a fan’s perspective I feel as though this primary lineup is what’s going to help salvage what is left of their preseason expectations.

I want to hear all comments, questions, and concerns.