Spartan Avenue
Fansided

Michigan State Basketball: 10 bold predictions for 2019-20 season

By Connor Muldowney

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 31: Cassius Winston #5 of the Michigan State Spartans is defended by Tre Jones #3 of the Duke Blue Devils during the first half in the East Regional game of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Capital One Arena on March 31, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 31: Cassius Winston #5 of the Michigan State Spartans is defended by Tre Jones #3 of the Duke Blue Devils during the first half in the East Regional game of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Capital One Arena on March 31, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 10
Next
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – APRIL 05: Head coach Tom Izzo of the Michigan State Spartans looks on during practice prior to the 2019 NCAA men’s Final Four at U.S. Bank Stadium on April 5, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – APRIL 05: Head coach Tom Izzo of the Michigan State Spartans looks on during practice prior to the 2019 NCAA men’s Final Four at U.S. Bank Stadium on April 5, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /

7. Malik Hall named Big Ten Freshman of the Year

After watching the exhibition game against Albion, I feel more confident in this pick. While the Big Ten has some talented freshmen, I believe Malik Hall can and will have the greatest impact, filling the void left by Kenny Goins at the four. While he may not begin the year in that spot in the starting lineup — my early pick is Thomas Kithier — I do believe he’ll prove himself worthy within the first few weeks.

Hall already has a strong frame so he’s not afraid to crash the boards and even score from the post. He was an excellent rebounder against Albion and he even showed off his offensive game with nine points. He looked solid and is only scratching the surface.

Moreover, Hall is a smart player. He’s not going to make a ton of mistakes and he might even be a better defender than Goins was. Often times last season Kenny was caught flat-footed and gave up some easy buckets down low, but Hall has active hands and even swiped two balls from Albion players who were trying to make a move on him.

The freshman from Kansas is going to have a great year for the Spartans, making a name for himself on the Big Ten level and even nationally with a freshman of the year honor in the conference. He’s going to be fun to watch for years.

Home/Spartans Basketball