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Michigan State Basketball: Takeaways from loss to Duke in Champions Classic

By Tristan Freeman

Nov 14, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Michigan State Spartans guard Tyson Walker (2) reacts after being hit in the head against the Duke Blue Devils during the second half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 14, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Michigan State Spartans guard Tyson Walker (2) reacts after being hit in the head against the Duke Blue Devils during the second half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports /
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Michigan State Basketball guard AJ Hoggard Matthew OHaren-USA TODAY Sports /

2. AJ Hoggard continues to struggle as a scorer

To have any shot at beating Duke, Michigan State’s backcourt needed to collectively have a big game. Tyson Walker, the clear star of the team, led all scorers with 22 points on 9/17 shooting, including a few buckets to get the game within two possessions in the second half. Jaden Akins had 11 points and eight rebounds in 32 minutes, going 4/11 from the field.

The guy who didn’t hold his weight is AJ Hoggard, who finished with two points on 1/8 shooting from the field. He did dish out eight assists in the loss, more than the seven combined in the first two games. Unfortunately, for a team that now lacks enough big-time scorers on the roster, they can’t afford a starting guard to not add to the scoring production.

Last season, Hoggard averaged around 13 ppg for the Spartans. So far, he’s at 5.0 ppg. If it wasn’t for Walker putting up over 23 ppg through the first three games, the overall offense would be in much worse shape. It puts the team in a rough spot overall and they won’t be able to reach their true ceiling until he gets it together.

Speaking of “ceiling”, there’s a chance it’s not as high as we originally thought.

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