Michigan State Basketball: Way-too-early starting 5 predictions for 2021-22

EAST LANSING, MI - DECEMBER 06: Marcus Bingham Jr. #30, Gabe Brown #44, A.J. Hoggard #11 and Rocket Watts #2 of the Michigan State Spartans celebrate a play in the second half of the game against the Western Michigan Broncos at Breslin Center on December 6, 2020 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images) /

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Michigan State’s Malik Hall celebrates a 3-pointer against Michigan during the first half on Sunday, March 7, 2021, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing.210307 Msu Um 051a /

This one might be a bit of a surprise because Joey Hauser will be back, but Malik Hall played well at the end of the season and I can see him taking a huge leap in his junior year.

Hall saw his minutes increase just slightly during his sophomore season, going from 15.9 as a true freshman to 17.5 in year two. He should play 20-plus minutes per game as a junior and he could be another one of those Gabe Brown-types who take a major leap in 2021-22. He could also develop into a leader because he’ll be a vet and he plays hard every time he’s on the floor.

Although he averaged just 5.0 points and 4.2 rebounds, he cut his fouls per game in half which shows that he learned how to defend the right way. He was no longer a walking foul.

Improvement on defense led to more confidence on the offensive end as he was more aggressive with the ball in his hands but he needs to work on his finishing. He can get to the hoop and get open shots, but his touch around the rim was not quite there. He should get the start at power forward next season and be more of an offensive presence.

I could see Hall averaging around 10 points and eight rebounds in 2021-22.

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