Michigan State basketball: Tyson Walker flirted with unusual triple-double

Tyson Walker had himself a night for Michigan State basketball against Penn State, flirting with an unusual triple-double.

I probably don’t have to tell you this, but Tyson Walker is special. Every game he does something that makes my jaw drop to the floor. It isn’t even because he’s typically the leading Michigan State basketball scorer, he just seems to do something unique every game.

In Michigan State’s 92-61 win over Penn State, Walker flirted with a triple-double. Typically when you think of a triple-double, you think about points, rebounds, and assists. However, this wasn’t the triple-double he was working toward.

Unusual triple-double watch

Instead of the usual points, rebounds, and assists triple-double, Walker tried to do something unusual on Thursday. He finished the night with 22 points, five assists and three rebounds. The other stat that made his near triple-double different was steals. Walker finished with six steals which is extremely unheard of.

Now 22 points, five assists, and six steals may not be that close to a triple-double, but Walker was closer to the magical triple-double than you think. He ended the first half with those five assists and six steals, so this triple-double was very possible at halftime.

Unfortunately, those stats didn’t come in the second half. But his stat line is nothing to be upset about. Scoring 20-plus points has become the norm for him, so that doesn’t stand out. But five assists and six steals are tied for the most by him this season. For him to put all of that together against a Big Ten opponent is extremely impressive.

Tyson Walker season in review

This team will go as far as Tyson Walker takes them. He is our best player and by far our most consistent. This season, he is averaging 20 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game.

One thing I’ve mentioned in the past is Tyson’s need to increase his assist numbers. Maybe he’s a reader of the page, but he has done just that. He has totaled five assists in three of the last four games while still keeping up with his scoring total.

I feel bad for other teams if Tyson is still improving. He’s already one of the best players in the Big Ten and country, but it’s the fact that he’s still expanding his game that is wild to me. This year has the potential to be special, and a lot of that is thanks to Tyson Walker.