courtesy of Detroit Free Press
In a post game interview with a Big Ten reporter, Michigan State's head coach Tom Izzo said, "We are going to have to play better to compete in this league." While that may be true, their efforts tonight were enough. Michigan State (9-4) had a 89-68 win over the Buffalo Bulls (6-7) tonight at the Breslin (Dec 30. 2022).
Here are 4 takeaways from the game:
AJ Hoggard hands the ball out well to his teammates; double-double
He gave his teammates 10 good looks on the basket for conversions while also adding 11 of his own points, going 50% from the field. He seemed to show up how Izzo has expected him, his lead point guard to, with composition and thought. One thing Izzo wants to see change in Hoggard is his gusto and assertiveness within the team to his mates.
Malik Hall is healthy enough to play, again
The crowd welcomed him back with a full ovation and cheers, as he stepped onto the floor off the bench. Hall has been battling a foot injury, walking in a boot for a little over a month. The Senior Forward came out and was able to make an impact. While he played just over 12 minutes, he added 10 points to the board. It was apparent that he is still gaining health and stamina. The fans were still happy to see him back in action all the same. We expect as the Spartans get deeper into conference play, he will make bigger impacts and become a more intricate part of gameplay.
Joey Hauser for a double-double
Joey Hauser repeats double-double with 18 points and 12 rebounds; three of those 12 being offensive. Though he was the leading scorer, he was unselfish with the ball, handing it out to his teammates for 6 assists. Spartan forward Hauser has been a solid rock on this year's team, providing consistency in gameplay and stability that Izzo can seemingly count on. He played the most this game, on the floor for nearly 31 minutes.
Izzo is ready for more from his team
He feels his team has more to give. He is disappointed in his team's defensive outing. Coach Izzo would like to see his team guard the dribble-drive more efficiently. As usual, he does take responsibility for some of those shortcomings. He knows that Nebraska will be a challenging opponent so he wants his team to be ready for that competition. He said his team "looked jagged" and he needs play to be more smooth on their next outing. Izzo said he thought his bench was "pretty good" giving his nod to some of the support players.
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