3 Offseason Questions For Tom Izzo, Michigan State Men's Basketball
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Michigan State men's basketball exceeded my expectations for the 2022-23 season after finishing fourth in the Big Ten Conference standings and reaching the 'Sweet Sixteen' for the first time since 2019 before dropping a heart-breaking overtime loss to Kansas State in the NCAA Tournament.
Now, Tom Izzo and the Spartans turn their attention to the 2023-24 season, hoping to take another step towards returning this program to the top of the sport and compete for a national title.
Here are five offseason questions for MSU as it turns the page to a new season:
1.) Which veterans will return?
Michigan State had three seniors who were heavily prevalent in the rotation in 2022-23: Joey Hauser, Tyson Walker and Malik Hall.
Hauser has already publicly stated that he does not plan on applying for a sixth season of eligibility to return to East Lansing, so we can safely assume that he will not be on the 2023-24 roster. Meanwhile, both Walker and Hall have decisions to make about their future.
After struggling through injuries for much of the season, I think there's a good chance that Hall chooses to return to MSU next winter for a fifth season. We've seen games where Hall looks like an All-Big Ten caliber player, but he's struggled with consistency throughout his career. Throw in the injuries he dealt with this season, and he was a shell of his former self by the end of the season.
I don't think Hall want to be remembered that way in East Lansing, nor do I think his stock as a professional player is very high at all right now.
The more intriguing decision will come from Walker, who led the Spartans in scoring this season and who's professional aspirations may be limited by his height. I'm leaning towards the expectation that we'll see Walker back in a Green and White uniform next season, but I'm only at about a 60-40 split in that gut feeling.
Obviously, getting Walker back would be a massive win for Izzo and Michigan State, and if Hall can get fully healthy he'll play a lot of minutes and may even return to the starting lineup for MSU in 2023-24.
2.) Will Tom Izzo dip into the portal?
This question is dependent on the above question, in my opinion. If Walker and Hall both return, Michigan State will already be at 13 scholarship players for 2023-24, which is the NCAA limit.
But what happens if Walker and/or Hall decide to leave?
The Spartans entered the 2022-23 season with significant questions about their depth, particularly in the frontcourt, after head coach Tom Izzo chose not to dip into the transfer portal last offseason. In the modern era of college basketball, where players transfer at an alarming rate, Izzo has said its difficult to keep everyone happy when you have 13 scholarship players, and that he prefers to keep his roster at around 10 scholarship players like MSU did this season.
In my mind, the only way Izzo goes digging in the transfer portal is if Michigan State loses all three seniors and has a younger player or two transfer out of the program.
3.) Which freshmen make an immediate impact?
Michigan State will add the nation's No. 3 recruiting class to its roster this summer, headlined by five-star forward Xavier Booker (No. 8 overall player) and five-star point guard Jeremy Fears (No. 24).
While he's considered a Top 10 prospect nationally, Booker is not necessarily an immediate addition into Michigan State's starting lineup. His recruiting ranking is based more on his raw athleticism and potential as a basketball player than where he's at right now. There's no doubting the kid's raw talent, but fans should pump the breaks on him being the second coming of Jaren Jackson Jr.
I'm very intrigued to see what happens with Fears and Tre Holloman, who will be entering his sophomore season. Holloman played just 8.6 minutes per game this past season. He was pretty good defensively for a freshman, but did not pose much of a scoring threat. Will Fears jump Holloman in the rotation? If so, how will Holloman react to that?
If Walker returns, Michigan State is going to have a log jam in its backcourt with A.J. Hoggard, Walker, Jaden Akins, Holloman and Fears all vying for playing time. It'll be interesting to see how Izzo and his staff manage that rotation.
Meanwhile, the Spartans will be in need of immediate help at the small and power forward positions, which is where incoming four-star freshman Coen Carr and Gehriq Normand come in. Izzo is reluctant to rely on freshman, especially early in the season, but will Hauser out the door and Hall's injury history — if he chooses to return — there may not be many other options.
Rising junior wing Pierra Brooks saw his minutes wan down the stretch this season, and he's been on the receiving end of some harsh coaching moments from Izzo. Perhaps Brooks will take a step forward this offseason, or we might see him pushed further down the lineup by one of the incoming freshman. There's a lot to be determined here.
