3 reasons Michigan State basketball can win it all in 2023-24

This Michigan State basketball team is ready to compete for a national championship and here are a few reasons why.

There’s a massive amount of excitement for Michigan State basketball heading into the 2023-24 season. From the amount of returning talent to the excellent recruiting class and the legendary coach, fans can’t wait to watch.

Not only do I think this hype is more than warranted, I think the Spartans can go all the way for the first time since 2000.

Here are three reasons why.

1. AJ Hoggard is primed for a monster season

A couple of years ago, AJ Hoggard was a project — a guy with tools and potential, but someone who repeatedly made frustrating mistakes and couldn’t remain consistent.

He’s come a long way since then.

After underscoring an impressive campaign by absolutely lighting it up this past March Madness, (almost single-handedly keeping the Spartans afloat in their Sweet 16 game against Kansas State), Hoggard is looking primed for a massive year. He has only been getting better, and if he continues improving at the rate he has been, we could soon witness an incredible season from the point guard. He’s already asserted himself as the ‘alpha’ on this team, and that’s something the Spartans have lacked since Cassius Winston was donning the green and white.

The presence of a guy like Hoggard who can be depended on to keep things steady and get a bucket when his team needs it is a huge deal. Michigan State basketball has finally checked that box with the emergence of the scrappy 6-foot-4 playmaking point guard, and it’s going to do wonders for the team.

2. One of the best guard rooms in the nation

Speaking of dangerous guards, in addition to the aforementioned Hoggard, MSU boasts a couple of additional threats. Tyson Walker, a 6-foot-1 senior guard, burst onto the scene in 2022 after a somewhat lackluster previous campaign. Walker averaged nearly 15 points to go with 2.5 and almost 3.0 assists per contest, and he shot 41.5% from beyond the arc. With the departure of fan favorite Joey Hauser, Walker is firmly cemented as the top shooter on the squad. I’m excited to see him strike with his polished jumper from all over the floor this year.

In addition to Walker, Jaden Akins is definitely not to be overlooked. He took a big step from 2021-22 to 2022-23, and I’d be surprised if he didn’t make even further progress from 2022-23 to now. The 6-foot-4, 190-pound wing is springy and athletic (he and Coen Carr are going to put on an absolute show this year), plus he’s developed a nice shooting stroke from three-point range, making 42.2% of his attempts last year. A guy like Akins who can penetrate and make plays while also maintaining an excellent jump shot is very valuable.

This is overall an extremely high-powered guard room. Not even mentioning incoming five-star point guard Jeremy Fears Jr. or sophomore Tre Holloman, the Spartans have three dependable options, each packing a serious punch. AJ Hoggard is far from the only dangerous guard on the roster, and that should scare other teams.

3. Outstanding depth

Not only do the Spartans boast a frightening starting five, the team’s roster is talented top-to-bottom. To start breaking it down, I’m going to hazard a guess at what the aforementioned starting five will be.

G: AJ Hoggard
G: Tyson Walker
G: Jaden Akins
F: Malik Hall
C: Mady Sissoko

Now, let’s dissect where that leaves the guys coming off the bench:

G Jeremy Fears Jr. (five-star recruit)
G Tre Holloman (already excellent defensively)
G/F Gehrig Normand (may not get immediate minutes, but a good shooter)
F  Coen Carr (will force his way into minutes due to incredible athleticism)
F Xavier Booker (five-star recruit, top-ten player nationally)
F Jaxon Kohler (offensively skilled big man with a solid shot)
C Carson Cooper (development gem in the rough who showed a lot to like last year)

When I put it that way, it’s pretty exciting, isn’t it? Michigan State has such a deep roster that all this talent is coming off the bench. Guys that would be starters on plenty of other teams are substitutes in East Lansing. Michigan State basketball has starter-level talent that’s going to be playing against other teams’ second-string guys, and I think the Spartans are especially going to do a lot of damage during those times.

Plus, obviously, with so much depth on the roster, the team can readily replace guys who could potentially get hurt. Player injuries won’t wreck the season, and that’s some nice peace of mind to have.

Final thoughts

There’s a ton to like about Michigan State’s roster heading into the 2023 season. I could keep the reasons coming, to be honest, but this discussion can be continued another time. That said, I’m beyond excited to watch the Spartans play basketball this season. It looks like MSU has one of its deepest and overall best teams in quite a while, and there’s a lot of reason to believe that this could be the year. Aside from that, it’s also cool to know that regardless of the outcome of the season, Michigan State basketball will likely be sending multiple players to the NBA afterward.

Before we get there, though, let’s watch Tom Izzo and the Spartans bring home another natty.

Talk soon.