BASKETBALL

Michigan State basketball: Recognizing seniors ahead of Senior Night

Let’s send these guys off right.

Published

2 years ago

March 6, 2024

Chris Davis

Michigan State basketball has six seniors and we’re going to recognize each of them ahead of Senior Night on Wednesday.

On Wednesday night vs. Northwestern, Michigan State basketball will be honoring its seniors in typical Spartan fashion with six players on the current players preparing to kiss the logo at mid-court.

This will be the 29th year that Tom Izzo celebrates a group of guys who committed multiple years to the university. He’s witnessed some memorable Senior Night games like Cassius Winston putting up 27 points against Ohio State and securing a share of the Big Ten Title to some disappointing Senior Nights like Draymond Green’s class losing at the buzzer to Ohio State and missing out on the conference title.

This year’s Senior Night seems to be laced with a little extra pressure. While the Spartans are preparing to send off the Seniors with an exuberant farewell, there will also be tangible tension in the room awaiting to see the result of the game. Now losing three games in a row and inching closer to the bubble, a win on Senior Night would be a tremendous boost to the fanbase and overall atmosphere recognizing players that have given so much to the program.

The players being recognized on Wednesday night are:

Tyson Walker: A rare case of Tom Izzo pursuing transfers, the Northeastern transfer hit the ground running as soon as he arrived in East Lansing. Walker looked poised to be the workhorse of this year’s team, however his play has taken a step back in recent weeks due to a nagging groin injury. Walker is a truly special player and you can expect him to give everything he has, even through pain, to leave East Lansing with win attached to his Senior Night.

Mady Sissoko: Sissoko arrived in East Lansing as a raw player. We’ve seen flashes from him where it seemed like the pieces were starting to fall into place like last years game vs. Kentucky and Oscar Tshiebwe. Unfortunately, these types of performances haven’t been as consistent as fans or the team hoped. What makes Sissoko such a beloved player for Michigan State however has nothing to do with the court. He sends each dollar he earns through NIL to develop his home in Mali. This past summer, Sissoko returned home to build a school in his hometown. Mady is truly a special human with a heart of gold.

Malik Hall: One of the best parts of this season has been watching the emergence of Malik Hall. Unfortunately for Hall, he’s battled multiple injuries in his time in East Lansing. At times, it felt like you could feel him trying to force his game to overcome the injuries, but about halfway through this season it felt like he finally found his footing and confidence in his body again. Hall has been the most consistent player for Michigan State basketball in the back half of the season and will be a vital factor in how far this team goes.

AJ Hoggard: Being a senior point guard for Michigan State comes with a lot of pressure. There’s a long line of guys like Magic Johnson, Cassius Winston, Mateen Cleaves, and so many others that elevated the program under their watch. Hoggard tested the NBA waters this past offseason but ultimately decided to come back. With his return, the expectations were that he’d build off of his performances in the NCAA Tournament but unfortunately, that didn’t materialize this year. Hoggard has put together some performances where he’s completely taken over games like against Illinois but those efforts have been too far and few between. Fortunately for Hoggard, he has an opportunity in front of him to right the ship and create a new narrative. The beauty about March is that it’s a clean slate with potential to erase all the pains of a season. Fans will be hoping Hoggard rises to the challenge down the stretch.

Davis Smith: Smith may be one of the most underrated guys on the current Michigan State roster. The starting rotation for Michigan State lacks a vocal leader and that’s a key element this team is missing. Smith, however, has done his part to fill that role. Tom Izzo has credited Davis with his presence and voice in the locker room. Smith showed the vakue in always being prepared earlier this year in his limited minutes vs. Michigan. Nearing halftime, Izzo put Davis in the game to help his other guards avoid foul trouble. Davis inexplicably was fouled just shy of the buzzer sounding and stepped to the line to shoot free throws. Without any hesitation, he stepped up and knocked them both down. These shots seemed to give the Spartans a boost of life heading into the locker room. You can’t overstate the importance of free throw shooting as well for a teams that’s struggled with it this year.

Steven Izzo: Last but certainly not least, the one and only Steven Izzo. It finally happened. After years of fans waiting for Izzo to sink his first career points as a Spartan, it finally happened in January against Rutgers. The reaction from the players and fans, both in person and on social media, was easily one of the top moments from this 2023-24 season. The clip will live on forever in Spartan lore. Izzo has walked a fine line during his time in East Lansing of being both the coaches son and a player. Players like Malik Hall have praised Izzo’s ability to do both well. While his playing days in East Lansing are ending, we’re certain Steven will still be around the Michigan State basketball program and it’ll be better for it.