Five Takeaways: Michigan State outlasts Wisconsin in gritty, Big Ten battle
It wasn't pretty, but it was massive.
Michigan State went into Madison and overcame a plethora of turnovers to earn a 69-65 win over No. 18 Wisconsin for their seventh consecutive victory.
The Spartans turned the ball over 14 points, and surrendered a whopping 27 points off those giveaways. But Michigan State overcame that by being efficient on their other offensive possessions, shooting 52 percent from the floor and 54 percent from beyond the three-point line.
1.) A.J. Hoggard takes over late
This game was an absolute war, and in a war you want a player like A.J. Hoggard on your side.
The junior point guard hardly scored through the first 38 minutes of the game, but he scored six consecutive points for Michigan State down the stretch as the Spartans seized control. Hoggard scored two tough baskets around the rim, and then knocked down a pair of critical free throw to put MSU up four with less than 30 seconds left.
Hoggard finished with 10 points and went 4-for-4 from the foul line, while also handing out eight assists and grabbing four rebounds.
2.) Joey Hauser bounces back
After struggling mightily with his shot last time out against Michigan, Joey Hauser was sensational tonight and back in his home state.
The senior finished with 20 points and eight rebounds, and was more selective with his shot attempts, going 6-of-8 from the floor and 2-for-3 from three-point range.
There's no doubt that Hauser is having the best season of his collegiate career and his emergence has been vital to the success that Michigan State has enjoyed midway through
3.) Jaden Akins — Some good, some bad
Michigan State's sophomore guard had some high-highs and some low-lows tonight against the Badgers. On the positive end, Jaden Akins scored 12 points on 4-of-8 shooting, and his speed and athleticism was difficult for Wisconsin to handle.
However, Akins also played way too fast at times and tried to do too much off the dribble. He finished with four turnovers by himself, some coming at critical times for the Spartans. He's also still not back to being the on-ball defender that we saw last season, though that can come back as he plays more basketball this season.
4.) Michigan State clutch from the FT line
Head coach Tom Izzo has lamented the fact that the Spartans haven't been able to get to the free throw line often in Big Ten play, and Michigan State remedied that tonight.
The Spartans went 16-of-17 from the charity stripe, and that was the difference in the ball game. Hauser went 6-for-6 from the line, Hoggard went 4-for-4, Tyson Walker and Akins each went 2-for-2 and Malik Hall went 2-for-3.
5.) Izzo goes with Carson Cooper over Jaxon Kohler
Like most nights, Michigan State utilized a two-man center rotation for most of the night. The difference tonight was that Izzo turned to freshman Carson Cooper over freshman Jaxon Kohler for the majority of the night when starter Mady Sissoko wasn't on the floor.
Kohler is much more polished offensively, but has struggled defensively for most of the year. Cooper, meanwhile, held his own pretty well tonight while tying a career-high with 12 minutes played. He finished with two rebounds, two blocks and a steal in what was his best game as a Spartan.
Up Next
This was a huge win for Michigan State, which improves to 12-4 overall and 4-1 in Big Ten play, tied for the lead atop the conference. The Spartans face another road test on Friday when they travel to Illinois (10-5, 1-3).
The Fighting Illini are off to a surprisingly tough start in conference play after entering the season as a team many figured would play a factor in the Big Ten title race. Michigan State shouldn't take this game lightly however, as every road game in conference play comes as a challenge.
