Skip to main content
Spartan Nation

4 Observations: Tom Izzo tinkers with lineup as MSU blasts Georgia Southern

Michigan State cruised to an easy win over Georgia Southern tonight, but head coach Tom Izzo made some interesting adjustments to his starting lineup...
Matthew Lounsberry|
4 Observations: Tom Izzo tinkers with lineup as MSU blasts Georgia Southern
4 Observations: Tom Izzo tinkers with lineup as MSU blasts Georgia Southern

In this story:

Michigan State Spartans

Michigan State men's basketball got back in the win column tonight, cruising to a 86-55 victory over winless Georgia Southern to improve to 4-3 on the year. Here are five observations from tonight's win for the Spartans...

1.) Izzo benches Hoggard, Cooper in favor of Holloman, Sissoko

After a disappointing 3-3 start to the season, in which the Spartans have been plagued by slow offensive starts, head coach Tom Izzo decided to switch his starting lineup tonight, inserting sophomore Tre Holloman at point guard and senior Mady Sissoko at center. It didn't exactly have the desired effect offensively, as Michigan State still got off to a fairly sluggish opening on offense. The Spartans started the game 3-for-10 from the floor, but still managed to put some distance between themselves and Georgia Southern with their defensive effort.

Interestingly, freshman Jeremy Fears was the first point guard off the bench for MSU, as Izzo kept Hoggard on the sideline. There's little doubt that the head coach was trying to send a message to his senior point guard after Hoggard has gotten off to a very poor start to the 2023-24 season. I've got no issue with Izzo benching the senior, but I we'll see if that sticks.

Tonight, Holloman orchestrated the offense well, finishing with a career-high 10 assists while turning the ball over just twice. Holloman took only four shots and finished with seven points. Hoggard, meanwhile, was efficient with his shot selection, scoring 12 points on 4-of-6 shooting from the floor and 4-for-5 from the foul line. He added four assists against two turnovers. Fears deserves a nod as well for grabbing 10 rebounds and adding six points and three assists.

As far as starting Sissoko over Cooper, I'm not sure what led to that, but Sissoko played very well tonight. The senior had 10 points, four rebounds and a blocked shot in 15 minutes played. Cooper added five points, four rebounds and a block in 17 minutes. Both centers are limited offensively, but I think Cooper brings more to the table on both ends of the floor. Sissoko is the better free throw shooter. It'll be interesting to see if Izzo continues to tinker with his lineup going forward.

2.) Balanced scoring for Spartans

Michigan State was able to play a lot of guys tonight against an overmatched opponent, and the Spartans shared the wealth offensively as a result. In addition to the scoring totals listed above, Jaden Akins led MSU in scoring with 14 points while Tyson Walker poured in 13 and Malik Hall added 11. The Spartans had 23 assists on 31 made baskets.

This is the best Akins has looked so far this season, albeit against a mid-major opponent. The junior was efficient, connecting on 6-of-10 shot attempts while giving his usual effort on the glass with six rebounds. Hall and Walker both played well, though Walker would probably prefer to be more efficient after shooting 6-of-14 from the floor.

3.) Rebounding dominance (finally)

The Spartans have been lackluster on the glass at times this season, giving up far too many offensive rebounds in certain outings. Tonight, Michigan State cleaned that up and dominated an opponent which had no business challenging them on the boards. MSU outrebounded Georgia Southern 46-26, and only allowed five offensive rebounds and five second-chance points to the Eagles. Dominating an opponent like this on the glass doesn't mean Michigan State's rebounding woes are fixed, but it was a step in the right direction.

4.) Jonathan Smith a hit with the MSU faithful

Michigan State fans got their first look at new head football coach Jonathan Smith as he addressed the crowd during a timeout break during tonight's game. Smith drew a huge round of applause from the Breslin Center attendees, who were fired up to hear him briefly talk about his excitement in taking on the job and his vision for Michigan State football. There's a lot of work to be done with Spartan football, but it's clear the MSU faithful are ready to put the Mel Tucker era behind them and embrace a new future with Smith. The new head coach's address can be viewed in the video below:

For more coverage of Michigan State Athletics:

Loading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendations

Published
Matthew Lounsberry
MATTHEW LOUNSBERRY

Home/Basketball