Michigan State Basketball: Spartans 2021-22 season preview and outlook
By Ryan Kay
Top Players coming off of the Bench
F – JR Malik Hall (Projected 6th Man)
He can end up becoming a starter at season’s end as Hall is listed as 6’7 and he can play at the 4 and if needed, he is more than capable to play on the wing at the 3 as well. The best outcome is that he can further develop his game like Henry did from his sophomore to junior season and contribute more this season. Hall is unique in that he is a versatile player to whereas he can be a mismatch nightmare for opposing big men and small forwards. He is a two-way player and should be productive on both the offensive and defensive ends of the court this season.
He is not a consistent scorer but he has shown in big games that he can score. For example, last season he has 10 points and 10 rebounds in a road win against Duke and he has a season-high 19 points in the Spartans Big Ten tournament game against Maryland. Even in Michigan State’s NCAA tournament loss in overtime against UCLA who ended up going to the Final Four, Hall had 10 points and made all of his field goals and free throws in that game.
Even going back to his freshmen season where he scored 17 points on seven for seven shooting leading Michigan State to a non-conference victory on the road against No. 12 Seton Hall and he shot five for five with 16 points on the road against No. 9 Maryland which secure a share of the Big Ten title for Michigan State in 2020.
What separates Hall from the other forward/big man on Michigan State’s roster besides Brooks and possibly Hauser is that he has the ability to dribble well on the perimeter for a player his size and he can shoot the three-ball well with consistency for a power forward who can stretch the opposing defenses. You can easily see Hall playing up to 25 to 30 minutes a game in Big Ten play.
F – JR Julius Marble II (Projected 7th Man)
Marble has shown and demonstrated grit and toughness last season for the Spartans. He has good size at 6’9 and 245 pounds and is strong enough to cover most centers if he is the backup to Bingham this season. If Bingham does not hold on to the starting spot at center and or can not play for long periods of time like last season, look for Marble to then get at minimum 15 minutes a game. Also if Marble can be consistent of the court this season, he could possibly start some games as well especially by the time December games begin.
He is a proven defender as he demonstrated last season and rebounds well which is important to Izzo. He can run the floor well for his size in transition and he should be looked at for a layup and or dunk as the Spartans look to reestablish their fast break this season.
He will start the season as the backup to Bingham at center. Once again, he is a reliable, solid, and trusted defender in Izzo’s pack-line defense. He has demonstrated toughness last season and Izzo trusts players like Marble who is in his third season in the Spartans defensive system. He could end up playing significant minutes this season and may end up being a starter by the start of Big Ten play. He should contribute more on the defensive end this year and help lead the Spartans to be a respectable team this season.