5 Observations: Malik Hall's Career Night Lifts Michigan State Past Penn State
Entering tonight's game 1-5 on the road in conference play, Michigan State men's basketball overcame its struggled away from home with an 80-72 win over Penn State in State College.
The Spartans came out running in this one, challenging Penn State to a foot race in transition and putting pressure on the Nittany Lions with their fast break offense. After a few early turnovers and opening 1-for-7 from the floor, Michigan State made eight of its next 10 shot attempts on their way to building a 22-13 lead with nine left in the first half. After the Nittany Lions closed to within five points, the Spartans delivered a counter punch, outscoring Penn State by 10 the rest of the half to take a 45-31 lead into the locker room.
Some defensive breakdowns and too many missed open looks kept Michigan State from expanding on its lead in the second half, but the Spartans were never in danger of giving this one away. Here are five observations from tonight's road victory...
1.) Malik Hall leads the way with career-high 29
We're running out of things to say about Malik Hall. The fifth-year senior has had his low moments, but those have been a rarity over the past 13 games. Hall played like a grown man in this one, dominating from start to finish on his way to a career-high 29 points on an uber-efficient 10-of-13 shooting from the floor. The senior went 8-for-8 from the free throw line, and has converted 15-of-17 of his attempts at the charity stripe since going 1-for-6 in the loss at Minnesota.
Hall made an impact in other areas as well, pulling down 10 rebounds for his third career double-double and adding three assists. The senior was responsible for a couple of Michigan State's defensive breakdowns after halftime, but the way he was carrying the load offensively those can be forgiven. Just an unbelievable performance from Hall, who has really come into his own in the back-half of his final season in the Green and White.
2.) Jaden Akins explodes in first half
We got to see Jaden Akins at his full potential for a half tonight, as the junior exploded for 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the floor and knocking down his first four 3-point attempts in the opening 20 minutes. Like he has a tendency to do, Akins disappeared in the second half, but there's little doubt a big part of Penn State's halftime adjustments were focused on limiting the junior's open looks.
Akins scored four points in the second half to reach 20 points for the fourth time in his career. The junior finished 8-of-17 from the floor, but missed his final five attempts from deep. Although he cooled off following that blistering hot start, I like seeing Akins get this many shot attempts. He's one of Michigan State's best offensive players and he should be a guy the Spartans play through for the remainder of the season.
3.) Carson Cooper gives MSU life from the 5-spot
Michigan State is looking for more production from its centers and it got just that tonight from sophomore Carson Cooper. A solid defender, Cooper made an impact on the offensive end as well in this one with 10 points and a perfect 4-of-4 mark from the free throw line. The big man ran the floor well, getting the majority of his offensive opportunities due to his hustle in transition.
Cooper got the most minutes of any of the three centers tonight, and that should probably be the trend for the remainder of the season. He and Mady Sissoko are similar players, but Cooper is more consistent at the defensive end and, despite his own limitations, is still a better offensive option than Sissoko.
4.) Booker flashes his potential (again)
One of the things that has frustrated MSU's fanbase the most is Tom Izzo's reluctance to give freshman forward Xavier Booker more of a role. We've documented both sides of the argument throughout the season, but Booker once again flashed his offensive potential tonight.
In a four-minute stint in the first half tonight, the freshman knocked down a 3-pointer and scored again on a pick-and-roll look from Tre Holloman for five quick points. Like has been the case all season, Booker didn't get much of a chance after halftime. At this point, I don't expect the freshman's role to increase much as the regular season wraps up and tournament play begins. Despite what Izzo says on occasion, it's clear he still would rather rely on one of his veterans and that Booker hasn't earned Izzo's full trust.
5.) Tyson Walker's scoring streak ends
While Michigan State as a team has struggled with consistency all season, the one guy who has brought it night in and night out on the offensive end is Tyson Walker. Tonight, it was pretty clear that the fifth-year senior is not at full strength, however, and Walker's streak of 35 games scoring in double-figures came to an end. The senior attempted only eight shots, finishing with six points and matching a season-high with three turnovers, while also grabbing a career-high six rebounds.
When tournament time arrives, Walker is going to be at the top opponents' of the scouting report, and Michigan State can't solely rely on him to be a superhero on offense. Even against an overmatched foe in Penn State, tonight showed that the Spartans can still play well offensively when Walker isn't at his best. That's an important development as the season winds down.
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