Tom Izzo addresses conversation surrounding MSU’s center position

Tom Izzo addressed the controversy surrounding the center position this season and why he believes it hasn’t worked to plan.

Michigan State has had an elephant in the room all season — an unproductive elephant at that. Fans have been begging Michigan State to pursue a big man from the portal for a couple of years now. For someone who doesn’t pay attention to social media much, Tom Izzo always seems to have his finger on the pulse of the fanbase and the conversations being had.

On Friday, Izzo addressed the conversation surrounding the center position for the roster.

Thought Izzo summed up his center situation well yesterday. It's not great, but it was never going to be great. MSU has shown it can still play at a high level when its three guards play well and that's what it needs in the postseason. pic.twitter.com/PAZdJg9Hjn

— Kyle Austin (@kylebaustin) March 9, 2024

“Here’s what I told my team. Everybody’s frustrated, ‘You’re not getting many points inside, you’re not doing this. It’s all true. But whoever said we were going to be great in there at the beginning of the year? We’ve got three guards that were on magazine covers and who were listed as high. We had a four man who we thought could be good but we question marked. The four man is playing his tail off in every way, offense, defense.”

“If those three guards can come back around, then center by committee isn’t as bad of a deal. When we’re trying to get points out of them, people search when things aren’t going as perfect. But people that are supposed to do their job have to do their job and we’ll be fine.”

Seemingly just accepting the fact that the center position was bound to be ineffective this year isn’t going to go over well with a large segment of the fanbase. On one hand, if this is how Izzo felt, why not go out and address the issue via the portal? The Spartans came into the season with championship aspirations and ranked as a top-five team. Why would you not do all you can to fill a complete and competitive roster?

On the other hand, Izzo isn’t wrong when he says this team was supposed to be carried by his three guards and the four spot. This, however, hasn’t worked out. Tyson Walker has been battling a nagging groin injury in the second half of the season that doesn’t seem to be going away any time soon. While he’s still been the best guard on the team, his play has decreased since the injury. AJ Hoggard has been disappointing all around this season when compared to the expectations of senior Michigan State point guards and his play in last year’s NCAA Tournament. Jaden Akins tested the NBA waters this offseason and there was a lot of speculation that he may consider transferring in pursuit of a larger role. Akins has been needed far more this year but has failed to deliver. His stats are essentially the same as last season but with a lower shooting percentage and more inconsistency.

Malik Hall has been the brightest spot for this roster but the plan hasn’t unfolded the way Tom Izzo and the fanbase have anticipated. No doubt having a productive center would’ve alleviated some pressure off of the guards and it’s at least a little concerning that Izzo and his staff didn’t consider this before such a promising season.

At this point, the “what ifs” are irrelevant but the quote does at least raise some questions about the future construction of the roster.