7 Takeaways: Michigan State falls to Kansas State in heavyweight battle in Sweet 16
It was a heavyweight fight in Madison Square Garden, as Michigan State and Kansas Staten went toe-to-toe for two and half hours at "the World's Most Famous Arena".
In a back-and-forth war that featured 14 ties and 16 lead changes, the Spartans fell short when Tyson Walker was stripped on MSU's final possession, trailing by three. Kansas State's Markquis Nowell, who finished with 20 points and an incredible NCAA Tournament record 19 assists for the Wildcats, stripped Walker on the final play.
Nowell scored once more as time expired, and Michigan State's season ended with a 98-93 overtime loss. Here are five takeaways from an incredible game in New York City:
1.) Walker vs. Nowell
Walker and Nowell, the two New York kids, went head-to-head on both ends of the floor throughout the night at Madison Square Garden. Both got off to slower than expected starts in the scoring department, with each guy limited to just five first-half points, but that's a credit to the defense that both guards play.
While Nowell didn't score much early, he still orchestrated K-State's offense to perfection with 10 assists in the opening 20 minutes. Walker knocked down the first 3-point look he got, but he settled for too many mid-range jumpers in the first half, going 2-of-6 from the floor.
A turning point came midway through the second half, when Nowell appeared to suffer an ankle injury at the 13:52 mark while KSU held a 50-46 lead. Michigan State immediately responded with an 9-2 run with Nowell out of the game, and it was a battle from there.
Following Nowell's injury, Walker got it going for MSU knocking down two more triples and scoring eight huge second-half points, none bigger than a tough, game-tying layup through contact in the closing seconds to send the game to overtime.
Walker finished with 16 points, five assists and three rebounds, but he couldn't get that last shot off against Nowell, a member of the Big 12's All-Defensive team.
2.) Joey Hauser keeps MSU afloat early
While Kansas State did a decent job keeping the Spartans away from the rim in transition, they forgot about a trailing Joey Hauser on a number of occasions. The graduate senior made them pay, knocking down a pair of early triples to get his night started. Hauser would end up leading MSU in scoring early with 12 first-half points to go with three rebounds.
Hauser added two second-half triples as well. The senior missed three consecutive open looks later in the half, which was unfortunate for MSU, but the Spartans could have been buried early without Hauser's hot start.
Hauser's turnaround this season as a graduate was both incredible and monumental for Michigan State. It's hard to imagine where the Spartans would have been without his hot shooting throughout the season. If this is indeed the last we see of Hauser in a Green and White uniform, he's earned a tip of the cap from the Spartan faithful.
3.) A.J. Hoggard takes over in 2nd Half
It's been said all year that Michigan State goes as A.J. Hoggard goes. The junior point guard had seven points and three assists in the first half, but took his game to a whole new level in the second frame.
Hoggard scored 18 points on 4-of-7 shooting after halftime, while handing out three more assists. The junior had ice water in his veins at the foul stripe, converting 10-of-11 attempts on his way to a career-high 25 points.
While it wasn't ultimately enough to lead Michigan State to victory, Hoggard proved his importance throughout the season, and he's poised for a big senior year in 2023-24.
4.) Costly turnovers
Michigan State turned the ball over five times in the first half, and the later ones were costly. In a back-and-forth battle, the Spartans edged out to a 26-22 lead with 5:48 left in the half, but back-to-back giveaways from Hoggard and Malik Hall led to easy buckets for Kansas State. The Wildcats used that momentum to go on an 11-4 run and eventually take a 43-38 lead into the locker room.
Turnovers are something that has plagued Izzo's program for years, and Michigan State's 13 in tonight's game may have determined the outcome. Kansas State scored 16 points off those MSU turnovers, and turned the ball over only five times themselves.
5.) No answer for Keyontae Johnson
K-State senior Keyontae Johnson came out and had a big first half for the Wildcats. Michigan State defended Johnson with both Hoggard and Akins, but used his size and an effective fadaway jumper to shoot 6-for-8 from the floor on his way to 14 points in the first frame.
Johnson didn't get as many touches in the second half, but he was still efficient with his opportunities. He finished the game with 22 points on 10-of-18 shooting to lead the Wildcats. The duo of Nowell and Johnson is perhaps the best two-guard combination left in the tournament. It will be interesting to see how far they can carry Kansas State.
6.) Defensive lapses hurt MSU
In the first half tonight, Michigan State did not showcase the lockdown defense that got them through the first and second rounds.
The Spartans allowed Kansas State to shoot a simmering 62% from the floor in the first frame, including 7-of-12 from 3-point range. The Wildcats cut swaths through Michigan State's halfcourt defense in particular, as MSU got lost on several backcuts and fell asleep on shooting threats from outside.
The Spartans improved in the second half, but not nearly enough. At one point, Kansas State scored on eight consecutive possessions. Michigan State was dependent on its defense for most of this season, but the Spartans had too many breakdowns tonight to advance to the Elite Eight.
7.) Michigan State returns to 3-point form
The Spartans shot the ball very poorly last weekend in Columbus, but with their defense suffering tonight MSU responded with a 3-point barrage. Michigan State shot a scorching hot 13-for-25 from deep.
Hauser, Akins and Walker each finished with four triples, while Hoggard added another. With Nowell and Johnson both having big nights for K-State, the Spartans had to respond by coming alive from outside.
With Hauser likely out of the door, and a decision upcoming for Walker, much of the Spartans 3-point firepower may be gone next season. That will be an offseason storyline to watch.
