East Lansing – Michigan participates in more back-to-back NCAA tournaments than just one program in college basketball.
But simply attending a big dance was not enough for this group.
No player on Michigan State’s current roster has played since the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament following tournament cancellations, play-in games and a second-round finish in the past three seasons.
This is a fact not overlooked at the Michigan State University basketball practice facility.
“We play the Final Four basketball here,” said Spartans point guard AJ Hoggard. “We’re not playing basketball in our first weekend. We have to go back to Michigan State basketball and it’s getting closer to the Final Four. That’s the plan, that’s the goal.”
That quest to return to the Final Four begins on Monday night with the season opener against Northern Arizona (7pm BTN+).
Also, Michigan State players and coaches feel they have a team they can play through March this year.
They have a lot of experience, and the starting line-up for the season opener will likely include three seniors and two juniors. Seniors Malik Hall and Joey Hauser are both expected to support the Spartans in nearly 100 college basketball games entering the season.
They have shooting, three returning 3-point shooters with 40%, and multiple other shooting threats led by shooter Tyson Walker with 47%.
Michigan State may not have a proven star, but players say they make up for it with depth of talent.
“It’s just that you can have someone you can look at and be like, ‘Not my night,'” Hall said. It could be night. For me, whether it’s leadership, scoring, rebounding, defense, I feel like it’s going to be a positive thing. I feel like I’m going to be able to cover the sides.”
Michigan State also has a backcourt, which Tom Izzo feels could be key to a deep run in the postseason. That group on Monday could include Spartans sophomore guard Jaden Akins, who missed the entire preseason but returned to practice late last week. is called the best interactive player.
Eakins joins Hogard and Walker, who led the nation in assist percentages last season, to form a trio that Izzo believes can elevate Michigan State’s level of play.
“I still think you have to be really good at guard to win a championship,” Izzo said.
Monday night should be a manageable first outing for the Spartans. Northern Arizona went 9-23 last year, and he went 5-15 at Big Sky.
The Spartans will have back-to-back games against top-five opponents in Gonzaga and Kentucky, then Villanova, Alabama, Notre Dame, and more. Sparta’s November schedule has his four games against teams currently ranked in the top 25.
“It’s borderline. I’d say elite,” Izzo said of Michigan State’s non-conference schedule. “I think Michigan State has the best schedule ever. It’s probably the best schedule in the Big Ten, and if you look at seven games in a row, it’s going to be the best preseason schedule ever.”
Michigan State University, on the other hand, does not rank in the top 25. With just 20-20 Big 10 plays in the past two seasons and the rarely used Maddie Sissoko set to start at center, players and coaches know there is some question about it. increase. this team.
But come March, the Michigan State players will take the next step as a program and believe they’ve answered those questions.
“We have a lot of chips, and we’re trying to cash out a lot of them,” Hoggard said. “We have a lot of bruises on our shoulders. We’re just trying to show everyone that what they say isn’t true. We work every day.”
