Big Ten Daily (Nov. 15): A.J. Hoggard's Message to Tom Izzo a Positive in Michigan State's Loss to Duke

The only finger-pointing A.J. Hoggard is doing is at himself. The Michigan State senior leader took responsibility for his poor performance following the Spartans' 74-65 loss to Duke in the State Farm Champions Classic Tuesday night. 

Hoggard finished Tuesday's game making just one of his eight shot attempts. Though he dished out eight assists and grabbed four rebounds, the guard scored only two points in 31 minutes on the floor.

After the disappointing performance, Hoggard refused to play the blame game. When Tom Izzo walked into the locker room — carrying a 1-2 record on the young season — his senior had a strong message.

"I like the fact that I walk in the locker room and the first thing A.J. says is, 'If I don't play better, you should bench me. This is ridiculous,'" Izzo said. "You know what? Those are positive signs."

Positive signs, indeed. It's not often that a veteran player recommends a spot on the bench for himself, especially one of Hoggard's caliber. 

While Michigan State's shooting woes have been a problem through the first three games, Hoggard's post-game message to Izzo is a sign the Spartans have the proper leadership necessary to withstand the turbulence of a long college basketball season. 

Shooting must improve, without question. Through three games, Michigan State has made just eight 3-point shots on 50 attempts. The free throw percentage is below 70%. That's simply not good enough. 

Michigan State converted at a better clip against Duke, making six-of-19 from deep. Still, the Spartans need Hoggard and others to play at a higher level to win big games.

"As A.J. said it  he said it best — if he's gonna go one-for-eight, and Jaden (Akins), those guys combine for five-of-19, we're just not gonna win any games," Izzo said. "We're not gonna win enough games."

Despite the 1-2 start and early shooting woes, Izzo still has full confidence in his team. A few setbacks in three games doesn't change his opinion of what he has in East Lansing.

"I think we've got a damn good team. I really do," Izzo said. "We haven't played very good. We haven't played very good. And we're gonna play good."

Illinois Struggles Down the Stretch 

For the first six minutes of the second half, No. 23 Illinois played well enough to upset No. 4 Marquette in front of a packed State Farm Arena. But the Fighting Illini failed to make enough plays down the stretch to get the job done, falling 71-64 in the Gavitt Tipoff Games matchup.

Trailing Marquette 36-31 at halftime, Illinois outscored the Golden Eagles 14-6 in the first six minutes of the second half to gain a 45-42 advantage. It appeared to be the spark Brad Underwood's team needed to get a huge home victory.

Illinois turned the ball over six times in the final 11 minutes, resulting in too many empty possessions against a team that had just eight turnovers the entire game. 

In the end, Tyler Kolek's 24 points and double-figure contributions from Kam Jones (15) and Oso Ighodaro (13) were enough for Marquette to leave Champaign with a win.

Luke Goode did provide the Illini with a spark off the bench. The guard made four 3-point attempts on seven tries, ending the game with 13 points. Terrence Shannon Jr. scored 21 to lead Illinois.

Illinois let one slip away on Tuesday night, but Underwood has some quality pieces on the roster. This is a team capable of challenging in the Big Ten.

The Iowa-Creighton Track Meet

Is there a more drastic difference in the world of college athletics than Iowa's offense on the football field vs. the Hawkeyes' offense on the basketball court? Inquiring minds want to know.

Iowa's track meet with No. 8 Creighton might've been the most entertaining game of the night in college basketball, especially if you love fast-paced, high-scoring contests.

The Hawkeyes looked gassed in the first 11 minutes of the second half, allowing the BlueJays to turn a two-point halftime lead into a 80-63 advantage with nine minutes to play.

Credit Fran McCaffery's bunch for scrapping its way back into the game. With 1:26 left, a Patrick McCaffery dunk cut Creighton's lead down to five points. The Hawkeyes had a chance to cut the lead to a single possession, but Payton Sandfort's missed jumper with 43 seconds remaining closed the book on a potential road upset.

The biggest takeaway from the shootout in Omaha? The Big Ten better be ready to run with the Hawkeyes. Unlike the football team, this group can score at will.

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