Michigan State Shooting Struggles Continue, While Former Spartan Thrives
Through five games, Michigan State Basketball’s biggest shortcoming has been outside shooting especially from the forward position.
Ever since former Spartans forward Joey Hauser graduated in 2023, there has been a lack of consistent three-point shooting.
Former Spartans combo guard Pierre Brooks was supposed to be his successor playing 15 minutes per game behind Hauser in his final season as a Spartan.
However, with an opportunity opening up at the wing position, Brooks decided to transfer after the 2022-23 campaign after coming off the bench for two seasons for Spartans head coach Tom Izzo.
Brooks showed flashes of being an elite shooter, but without consistent minutes, it never materialized for the Detroit native.
A few weeks into the transfer portal Brooks landed in Indianapolis at Butler with a starting role while still playing high-level basketball with a Big East team.
Last season, Brooks returned to East Lansing to take on the Spartans back at the Breslin Center. Brooks struggled from deep shooting 2-of-7, scoring 13 points. It wasn’t enough as the No. 18 Spartans got the best of Brooks and the Bulldogs, winning 74-54.
After the game against the Spartans early in the season Brooks settled into his role as a primary scorer. As a junior, Brooks scored 20 points or more seven times, ending the season averaging 14.8 points.
This season, Brooks continues to thrive as a shooter, making three-pointers at a 42 percent clip. Through four games Brooks is averaging 15 points per game.
For the Spartans, none of their shooters with over ten three-point attempts are shooting over 21 percent.
Transfer forward Frankie Fidler was supposed to fill the role of a wing scorer with outside shooting ability. Early on, however, Fidler struggled with his three-point shot, shooting 15 percent from deep.
Brooks would’ve been the perfect addition to this Spartans team, providing consistent shooting and veteran leadership, two of the Spartans' most glaring issues.
The Spartans will need to make more 3-point shots this feast week as they travel to Hawaii for the Maui Invitational. They could potentially face off against some of the best programs in the country, such as UConn, North Carolina, and Iowa State.
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