Michigan State Basketball: Preview of newcomers on 2020-21 Spartans roster

Joey Hauser – Sit-out transfer from Marquette

It seemed like Joey Hauser would never get a chance to play for Tom Izzo and the Spartans.

Hauser ended up having to sit out a year despite fervent efforts from Izzo and his staff to get him an extra year of eligibility from the NCAA. Hauser announced his commitment to MSU after transferring from Marquette in May of 2019.

Because he did not suit up in green and white, Hauser will have two years of eligibility on the Spartans’ roster. He initially wanted to play with his brother, Sam, but Sam committed to Virginia.

Tom Izzo has spoken highly of Hauser’s play, mentioning how he can do it all on the court. His best quality, though, is no doubt his ability to knock down threes. In his one season at Marquette, Hauser hit on 42.5% of his long balls on three attempts per game.

Hauser is expected to start at the power forward for the Spartans, giving them a solid scoring forward who can shoot the rock or put it on the floor and get to the rack. It’s likely that he will be one of the main scoring contributors due to his higher level of experience compared to the rest of the team. Having a good shooter at the 4 helps make Izzo’s Spartans a tough team to guard.