Michigan State basketball picked up a win over the Madrid All-Stars on Thursday and here were some notable performances.
After five months with no Michigan State basketball to watch, fans got a taste of the new-look roster.
Replacing the likes of Tyson Walker is never easy. And AJ Hoggard leaves as perhaps one of the most contentious players among fans in quite some time.
In game one of their three-game tour of Spain, the Spartans prevailed over the Madrid All-Stars 94-87. Michigan State did not release an official box score, but I rewatched the game and did my best to tabulate the stat lines.
What were some of the notable performances, good and bad, of the day?
Xavier Booker shows his true potential
This was the most talked about storyline from Thursday. During the first half, Xavier Booker could not be stopped. He shot comfortably from deep (4-of-5) and had multiple put-back dunks. He finished the day with 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting and seven rebounds. Booker looked every bit like the five-star recruit he was touted to be.
Comparisons to Kevin Durant were jokingly thrown out, but I liken his performance to senior year Adreian Payne. A lanky stretch four with the ability to stroke it from deep and grab key rebounds. But I would argue that Booker has even more tools than Payne given his ability to ball handle as well.
The fans needed to see this version of him, and frankly so did Booker.
Fears ready to take over
With the departure of AJ Hoggard and Tyson Walker, there is a clear changing of the guard (pun intended). Fears wasted no time immediately jumping into his leadership role. He drove to the basket early and often and created open shots all over the floor for his teammates. I still question his scoring from outside, but that might not be his role on this team. He thrives as a facilitator as well as a defensive lynchpin. He is also this team’s closer. You want the ball in his hands down the stretch.
Fears finished with 10 points (including six of MSU’s final eight points) to go along with six assists and two steals.
Fidler shows consistency
Michigan State basketball fans gushed about the scoring potential of Frankie Fidler given some of the stagnant offense from last season. However, many were unsure of where he would stand in the pecking order of options on the floor.
As it stands today, I see Fidler as a solid starter and contributor but not the “go-to” guy. He can get you a bucket if you need it and clearly can create his own shots. He boasts a silky-smooth midrange which he displayed in the second half.
And more encouraging, he gets to the foul line often. Fidler was No. 12 among all D-1 players in free throws made last season, and he shot it at an 86.8% clip. He finished the day with 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting and 4-for-4 from the free throw line.
Improvement at center?
Tom Izzo frustrated many MSU fans by for the most part rolling with his same personnel at the five. He did add a late transfer in Szymon Zapala, but there were clearly better center options in the portal. We saw a nice outing from Jaxon Kohler in extended minutes. He was visibly more assertive on the glass on both ends of the floor. He also showed his usual inside creativity and extended post range.
Finishing with a 13-point, 12-rebound double-double is a welcome sight. Complementing him, Carson Cooper started the day off slow but finished the fourth quarter strong with a near-double-double of his own. He had 10 points and nine rebounds. Zapala struggled mightily, failing to log into the scoring column and securing just two rebounds. At this point, he is the third option in the rotation.
Scary hours for the veteran backcourt
When you travel abroad in the offseason, there are bound to be some players who have shooting slumps. Your body is adjusting to jetlag, and you are likely cold in terms of real-game rhythm. But the shooting lines from Akins and Holloman respectively are causes for concern. Last year, this team got into some serious offensive slumps due to a lack of consistency. Akins went 0-for-11 on Thursday and Holloman went 2-for-9. You could chalk that up to just having an off night. But Akins has shown us over his MSU career that he has not really found any stability in his role or rhythm. Holloman made up for his slow scoring night by dishing four assists, including a flashy lob to Coen Carr and a three-quarter court pass to a streaking Cooper.
Michigan State clearly has its 1-2-3 in Booker, Fears, and Fidler. But they need more output from their veteran role players if they want to make any noise this year.
Summary
After a frustrating end to last season, I think MSU fans were ready for a fresh start. And this year’s team shows a lot of intrigue and upside. There will likely be growing pains and no shortage of teachable moments.
We will continue to monitor how the team performs for the remainder of their trip in Spain. They play Valencia on Aug. 18 and Barcelona on Aug. 20.
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