It is officially June and we are still doing Exit Surveys. In the same vein that The Floor Slap did season previews and in season spotlights for every team in the Big Ten, now it’s time to look back on everyone’s season and reflect. Going from the Bottom to the Top in the standings, we will be releasing Exit Survey’s for all 14 teams in the conference. Today, we have the 4th place Michigan State Spartans.
Preseason
Michigan State’s season is a fantastic example of hindsight bias.
Before the season there were serious questions around this Michigan State team and Coach Izzo.
Izzo won three straight Big Ten Titles with Cassius Winston and made a Final Four after beating Zion Williamson’s Duke. Winston was an All-time Spartan guard.
My preview article about MSU focused on Izzo focusing on finding an identity after losing Winston. So far, Coach Izzo had not been able to find the right chemistry for success. Michigan State had placed 8th and 9th in the past two seasons of Big Ten play going exactly .500 overall after Winston graduated.
I wondered aloud if the Spartans had the right players to figure it out this season. They lost their top three scorers in Gabe Brown, Marcus Bingham, and Christie.
I brought up that Izzo’s best teams have guards who create offense for their teammates and themselves. They had missed that the past two seasons. I talked about how Tyson Walker and AJ Hoggard had shown potential in the 20mpg they averaged in the 21-22 season, but could they make the leap?
On top of the recent struggles on the court, Coach Izzo has been one of the most vocal coaches off the court.
Tom Izzo has been active speaking out against the harmful effects of the transfer portal and NIL. The Spartans had lost guys like Rocket Watts, Julius Marble, and Foster Loyer in recent years to the portal. Izzo had also lost Freshman wing Max Christie to the draft and had spoken out about how he thought it was a mistake.
With legendary coaches like Jay Wright and Roy Williams stepping away as the College Basketball shifted, people wondered whether or not a guy like Izzo – who was so vocal about how the changes are bad – was slipping…
One season of basketball and one offseason hype train later and this seems like the most ridiculous idea ever.
AJ Hoggard and Tyson Walker established themselves this season and could be the best backcourt in the country in 2023-24. Coach Izzo made another thrilling tournament run, has a top recruiting class coming in as reinforcements and is leading a consensus Top 5 team for next year.
How could you ever have doubted him?
Hindsight Bias.
The Season
Because people were unsure about Michigan State they entered the season unranked but still had the gauntlet non-conference schedule the Spartans always have.
Sparty opened with a game against NAU and then had Gonzaga, Kentucky and Villanova in the next three games. Sheesh.
After dispatching NAU, Michigan State played Mark Few, Drew Timme and Gonzaga on an aircraft carrier where wind definitely was playing a factor. Gonzaga was ranked number 2 in the country at the time and the Spartans proved themselves by hanging tough all game, but fell short as Jaden Akins’ game winning attempt sailed long.
Michigan State rebounded four days later by beating Big Blue Nation in the Champions Classic in a thrilling 86-77 win in double overtime.
The Spartans thought they maybe found something in that game for their problems at center. Mady Sissoko had a great game and holding his own against reigning NPOY in Oscar Tshiebwe. Sissoko would be hit or miss the rest of the season, but he had a couple huge dunks to seal this victory.
The Spartans stayed hot and beat a Villanova team people still believed in at the time in East Lansing.
With wins over two premier CBB programs and a close loss to another, the Spartans vaulted to 12th in the AP Poll, the highest they would be all season.
MSU then played 18th ranked Alabama in the first game of whatever Phil Knight bracket they were in. Nate Oats, Alabama and specifically Brandon Miller announced themselves to the world in this game. The Crimson Tide took a double digit lead early in the second half and never looked back, being powered by Miller’s 24 points.
They finished out the MTE by beating an okay Oregon team and an okay Portland team. Michigan State then slumped through a loss to a bad Notre Dame team (I did not remember this game happened) and lost to an unproven Northwestern team.
Suddenly, the Spartans were very far from the AP poll again and fans were not happy.
Izzo and company rebounded and proceeded to rip off seven straight wins. The easy non conference games of Oakland, Brown and Buffalo boosted this streak. Still, the Spartans also won four Big Ten games at Penn State, at a ranked Wisconsin, and home against Nebraska and Michigan.
MSU was one game back of first at 4-1 in conference, and the Spartans potentially found their identity.
Tyson Walker and Hoggard had proven they could be great creators and distributors. Joey Hauser had grown into a high volume shooter and scorer. Malik Hall accepted more of a 6th man role. Jaden Akins was becoming the third guard and microwave scorer type. Sissoko and freshmen bigs Jaxon Kohler and Carson Cooper were filling in at 5 for different styles.
However, the Spartans had a rough end of January and beginning of February.
The rough stretch started by dropping a game at Illinois where everyone but Hoggard was ice cold.
In the next game, Tyson Walker tried his best to 1v1 Zach Edey. Both of them scored 30+ points but it was Edey’s game winning layup with 2 seconds that put the 3rd ranked Boilermakers ahead for good.
Michigan State beat up Rutgers after that and then got beat up by IU, where again the Spartans struggled against a big giving up 30 and 15 to Trayce Jackson-Davis. In the next game, Michigan State squeaked by Iowa with some clutch shots from Akins and Hoggard.
Then once again the Spartans ran into Zach Edey and Purdue. This time MSU stood no chance. Purdue walloped the Spartans behind 38 points and 13 rebounds from Edey. Purdue convinced me that they truly were a title threat after that game. Silly me.
Michigan State lost once more to Rutgers after Paul Mulcahy took over with 17 points in the second half. The loss dropped Izzo and company to 6-6 in the Big Ten.
Michigan State bounced back with a win at home over a hot Maryland team and a beatdown of Ohio State in Columbus before the season truly took a turn.
Michigan State then as a campus was turned upside down with the shooting that happened February 13th 2023.
The Minnesota game was postponed (and later canceled) for the Spartans as a result.
Tom Izzo showed everyone why he is really Mr. East Lansing following this and his speeches and tears were truly affecting.
One of the most touching moments of the season was the Spartan Strong displays rival Michigan fans had before the game in Ann Arbor as the first game back for the team.
The Spartans probably still a little bit preoccupied mentally lost to the Wolverines.
Moving beyond the tragedy, Michigan State would rally and end the season on a hot streak.
The Spartans confidently beat 17th ranked Indiana 80-65 in their first home game since the shooting. MSU would go on to beat Nebraska and Ohio State as well. If they didn’t have one of the worst collapses ever to Iowa they would’ve ended on a four game win streak.
With the canceled Minnesota game, MSU finished 11-8 and 4th in conference.
The Spartans had conquered a lot of adversity. Michigan State had seen it all and the players and coach learned a lot about themselves in the process of such a bizarre, emotional season.
One thing was clear. The Spartans and Tom Izzo were ready to make a run.
Post Season
That run started with a loss in their first game in the Big Ten Tourney to 13th place Ohio State.
During the game, Tom Izzo pulled a struggling Hoggard and was seen coaching him up on the bench in classic Izzo fashion. Hoggard came back in and scored a quick 7 points, but it wasn’t enough.
Sometimes, you need to fail to learn your lesson. An early exit in the Big Ten Tournament might have prepped them better for the real one. I have no doubts that the moment on the bench helped Hoggard to be better for March Madness.
Michigan State was slated as a 7 seed with USC as its first opponent. After a back and forth first half the Spartans controlled the second half and lead the entire last 15 minutes. Michigan State showed their balance with four starters in double figures in the victory.
Michigan State advanced to take on the 2 seed, Big East Regular Season and Tournament Champion Marquette.
A tight one all game, Michigan State turned on the jets in the last four minutes with big shot after big shot from their experienced guards, AJ Hoggard and Tyson Walker. The Spartans frustrated Big East Player of the Year Tyler Kolek all game. MSU forced him into 6 turnovers, 4 personal fouls and 2-8 from the field.
Mr. March did it again.
MSU was thru to the second weekend and the teams left were Tennessee, FAU and K State. None of the other coaches had made the final four. Tom Izzo is known for making it.
Everything was set up perfectly except that Marquis Nowell was about to have a performance for the ages.
Nowell scored 27 points against Kentucky in the round of 32 and it seemed like Michigan State decided to make him a passer. To which Nowell obliged. After they sold out on all of his drives, Nowell hit open man after open man on his way to 19 assists. 19 assists!!! A NCAA tournament record 19 assists.
This game was iconic and maybe the best game of the tournament.
Tyson Walker had the clutch basket to force OT, Nowell and Jerome Tang had the fake fight alley-oop play, and it came down to a final possession with K-State up 3. Tyson Walker was stripped on the way up for the game tying shot. Nowell grabbed the ball and broke the other way. Marquis Nowell laid the ball in as time expired with Tyson Walker still lying on the ground.
Wildcats 98. Sparty 93.
A heartbreaking end to a thrilling season for Michigan State.
The loss to Kansas State was the end of the season, but it was not the end of the story for this Spartan team.
MSU would lose Joey Hauser and lose Pierre Brooks to the portal, but the rest of the team said, “let’s run it back.” Tyson walker, AJ Hoggard, Malik Hall and Jaden Akins are all returning.
Beating a top 5 team like Marquette and coming so close to making the Elite 8 proved Walker and Hoggard can play at the highest level and win.
With those two as the starting backcourt, Michigan State will be one of the most experienced teams out there. They will also have an infusion of youth with Jeremy Fears Jr, Xavier Booker, Coen Carr, and Gehrig Normand coming in as a top recruiting class.
Xavier Booker could be the missing piece for Michigan State to unlock something better at the 5, a definite weak point of this year’s team.
The class will add depth, versatility and potential Michigan State might not have had. The roster will return the best backcourt in the Big Ten and one of the best in the country. Their roster will be built on the back of continuity and player development, rather than NIL and the transfer portal.
Of course it will all be guided by Izzo fresh off of proving why he is one of the best. Michigan State has been a universal Top 5 team in the preseason rankings. The hype train is at full throttle.
Makes you wonder why anyone ever doubted Tom Izzo in the first place.