BASKETBALL

What Michigan State basketball must do to make surprise NCAA Tournament run

Anything is possible.

Published

2 years ago

March 20, 2024

Zack Theis

What must Michigan State basketball do over the next couple of weeks to go on a surprise run in the NCAA Tournament?

One of the strengths of this Michigan State basketball team is its guard play. The guard play will be the difference between this team going on a run or losing in the first or second round.

A lot of people will talk about Tyson Walker and AJ Hoggard coming to play, there is one guard who isn’t talked about enough, that is Jaden Akins. Walker will come ready to play and he should not be afraid to shot. Michigan State is also going to need Hoggard to be focused on both offense and defense. If you can get both to show up with a consistent Malik Hall, this is a team that can win a game or two in the tournament.

The center position is going to be another question mark but if they can contribute like they did against Purdue, this team will be alright. Outside of Tre Holloman, there is one last player who isn’t mentioned and that’s Akins.

Akins is the difference between this being a good team or a team that can beat most teams in the country. Some may disagree with that statement but let’s look at last year when this team went to a Sweet 16.

In two of the three games, Akins scored in double figures and hit some very important shots in moments that the game was getting away from Michigan State. There were several points in the Kansas State where Akins hit a big three to either stop the moment or keep it going for the team. One of the biggest shots in the game and a reason why they almost won was the three by Jaden with 1:35 left. Michigan State was down by five at this point and he hit the shot. Not only was that shot important, it gave Hoggard and Walker a chance to close the game.

When you have Akins hitting shots and a player like Joey Hauser as well, that allows an offense to get going. This year, there’s no Hauser but there has been a consistent Malik Hall that has been scoring even in an an offense that has struggled in the half court throughout the season. When the half-court offense has been good, it’s because of guys like Akins and now Xavier Booker. If Akins is hitting his shots, that really helps open the middle of paint, which leads to Hoggard being able to get into the lane.

Another player that does this is Booker.

Booker is the other key part of this team going on a run. He does not need to score 10-plus points every game for Michigan State basketball to go on a surprise run but he needs to hit shots, get rebounds, and be a contributing factor for this team. Fans can look back on Draymond Green’s freshman year and the impact that he made on their run to the Final Four.

Now Booker doesn’t have to have this type of run but if he does, this is a bracket that gives this team a chance. No one is expecting a run, but Booker is going to be another player that if he plays well for 10-20 minutes a night, he can be a difference-maker for this team.

This team has the guard talent and past performances that show they can go on a run. It’s also March and we have seen Tom Izzo do crazier things in the past. While they do have the talent and capability, consistency has been the issue. There have been moments where Walker, Hall, Hoggard, Akins, and a few other players have played well but now it is about putting everything together.

It’s about Akins starting to hit his shots.
It is about Hoggard showing consistency and actually showing up.
It is about Walker hitting his open shots.
It is about Hall continuing to do what he has been doing.
It is also about Booker continuing to grow and make a bigger impact on this team.
It’s about the centers contributing.

No one is saying or expecting the centers to now average 15 and 10 but if they can do that combined, that could be enough. These are a lot of things that need to go right to go on a run but we have seen it done on individual nights. It’s something that can be done but will we see it? That’s the question that will need to be answered and if it’s a ‘yes’, there could be another surprise run for Michigan State under Izzo that people did not see coming. If the answer is ‘no’, this team will lose in the first two rounds.