Michigan State Basketball: 3 takeaways from Spartans win over Notre Dame
Izzo can be patient with the freshmen
This is simply a by-product of the fact that Coach Izzo can start anybody. AJ Hoggard was the No. 70 ranked recruit coming out of Huntington Prep onto a team that lost their point guard to the second round of the NBA Draft.
Not long after his arrival was the question raised ‘Who would replace Cassius Winston?’ That question would eventually change to how much playing time would Hoggard get playing behind Loyer and Watts.
The answer, for the moment, is an average of under four minutes per game. Despite not having scored his first Division I point yet, a year of being the third point guard in the Big Ten will be a great learning experience.
The same goes for No. 34 recruit 6’9 Mady Sissoko playing behind Kithier and Bingham. While the path to more playing time is more clear than Hoggard’s, Coach Izzo is in no rush. In a game where they led by 28 points with 13 minutes, Sissoko played just three minutes. Sissoko could very well be the best defensive center on the Spartans roster as demonstrated by the two blocks in six minutes versus Eastern Michigan.
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The three fouls in three minutes versus Notre Dame illustrates just how raw Sissoko is and much like how Coach Izzo will manage Hoggard, he will also prepare Sissoko for the 2021-22 season when they will be pre-season favorites with Joey Hauser.