Michigan State Basketball: Preview of Spartans 2020-21 season
By Ryan Kay
Top Players coming off of the Bench
Wing – JR Gabe Brown (Projected 6th Man)
Brown should see a significant increase in playing time and points per game from last season, even though he played big minutes for a stretch of games in January. At the end of the season besides the Nebraska game, his playing time and minutes decreased consequentially. He only scored in double digits seven times last season but that number should increase this season.
Izzo and the Michigan State coaching staff seem to be very high on his potential to contribute more this season. He will have to compete for playing time but there will be games where he will play well and see starter minutes this season, especially if there is an injury to a starter. He is confident on the offensive end and he has the athleticism to continue to improve as a defender.
Brown and his ability to score in quick spirits can be very useful in games where the Spartans run into a strong and stingy defensive-minded team. If all goes well, Brown could have a future in the NBA similar to that of former Spartan Jason Richardson. The more playing time he gets, the better he will become wiith experience.
F – SO Malik Hall (Projected 7th Man)
Hall at 6’7 plays at the 4 and if needed he is able to play on the wing at the 3 as well. The expectation is that he can further develop like Henry has done and contribute more this season. Hall is versatile to whereas he can be a mismatch headache for opposing big men and be productive on both the offensive and defensive end.
He also rises to the occasion in big games where he scored 17 points on seven for seven shooting leading the Spartans to a much needed non-conference victory on the road against No. 12 Seton Hall and shot five for five with 16 points on the road against No. 9 Maryland to help Michigan State secure a share of the Big Ten title
What separates him from every other forward/big man on the Spartans roster besides Hauser is that he can dribble well on the perimeter and he can shot the three-ball well with consistency. He may not appear to be the strongest and biggest player among the Spartan big men but against teams that play more of a small ball system, you can easily see Hall playing up to 20 to 25 minutes in those games.
He was recruited for a reason and purpose to eventually become a starter and he can turn into the next Raymar Morgan or Durrell Summers for the green and white in years to come. He has a bright future and will more than likely be a starter by next season at the latest.
PG – JR Foster Loyer (Projected 8th Man)
The hope is that Loyer can become a blend of former Spartans Travis Trice and Chris Allen but due to his height, he may be restricted in his development due to having to guard taller and more physically imposing point guards.
He is not the type of passer as former Michigan State legend Drew Neitzel was but he has earned the respect of his teammates by being named one of the team captains this season and can shoot from the outside by being able to knock down three-pointers as he did in the Big Ten tournament against Ohio State two years ago.
Fair or not, Loyer is expected to play 10 to 15 minutes a game this season. Against lesser talented opponents last season at home like Eastern Michigan, Northwestern, and Western Michigan he scored in double digits. There were 14 games that he scored zero points last season and he needs to be able to produce more offensively this upcoming season to earn an increase in playing time.
He will play one way or the other but the questions that still remain are how many minutes will he average per game and will he play more minutes against top-tier opponents is still to be determined. Look for him to be the primary backup to Watts as well as he will be in the playing rotation early on in the season as true freshmen A.J. Hoggard works his way into the playing rotation.
F – SO Julius Marble II (Projected 9th Man)
He has displayed and demonstrated toughness and grit last season. He has good size and is tall enough and strong enough to cover most centers. If Bingham can not play for long periods of time and is not productive, look for Marble to get approximately at least 10 minutes a game. If he stays healthy this season, he could possibly start some games as well. He defends and rebounds well and he can run well in transition looking for the easy bucket and or dunk.
He could easily be the backup at the center position for this season as he is a solid, reliable defender, who has a toughness about him that coach Izzo admires in his players. He could play significant minutes especially in this uncertain pandemic hindered shorten the season as well. He should contribute on the defensive end and help lead the Spartans to another Big Ten championship.