Spartan Avenue
Fansided

Tyson Walker gives Michigan State basketball just what it needs for 2021-22

By Connor Muldowney

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 08: Tyson Walker #2 of the Northeastern Huskies looks on during the CAA Men's Basketball Tournament - Quarterfinal college basketball game against the Towson Tigers at the Entertainment & Sports Arena on March 8, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 08: Tyson Walker #2 of the Northeastern Huskies looks on during the CAA Men's Basketball Tournament - Quarterfinal college basketball game against the Towson Tigers at the Entertainment & Sports Arena on March 8, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

Michigan State basketball picked up a big piece to its 2021-22 puzzle with the commitment of Northeastern point guard transfer Tyson Walker.

After falling short in the First Four to drop to 15-13 on the season, heading home before the Round of 64, Tom Izzo realized he had a lot of work to do.

A lot of the struggles Michigan State suffered through this season was due to poor play at the point guard position and that was because the Spartans didn’t have a true point. They shuffled through Foster Loyer, Rocket Watts and AJ Hoggard, but there was no true experienced point guard leading the offense all season.

So when Tyson Walker hit the transfer portal, Izzo jumped at the opportunity to recruit him.

Walker averaged 18.8 points and 4.4 assists while being named the CAA Defensive Player of the Year as a sophomore for Northeastern. He was a great facilitator, good shooter, top-end defender and the perfect all-around player that any contender needs.

On Saturday, he committed to Michigan State over the likes of Kansas, Miami, Texas, Maryland and Vanderbilt.

This was exactly what the doctor ordered for the Spartans this offseason despite already bringing in a star freshman guard in Jaden Akins and having Hoggard on the roster still.

In fact, Izzo pitched the “come here and help us win a title” line to Walker which seemed to be enough to sway his decision toward the green and white.

When a coaching staff tells you that they’re ready to win a title and you’re the missing piece and the head coach is a Hall of Famer, you listen. Because he knows what he’s talking about.

Izzo has a roster for next season that features depth at every position besides point guard. That has now changed.

Michigan State is now at least two deep at every single position group for the 2021-22 season which is intriguing, to say the least. Just look at the depth chart:

  • PG: Tyson Walker, Jaden Akins, AJ Hoggard, Foster Loyer
  • SG: Max Christie, Rocket Watts
  • SF: Gabe Brown, Pierre Brooks
  • PF: Malik Hall, Joey Hauser
  • C: Marcus Bingham Jr., Mady Sissoko, Julius Marble

That’s a complete roster that if you subbed in all five backups would not see much of a drop-off, if any at all, from the starters.

Walker was the missing piece.

Next. 3 final takeaways from MSU basketball's 2020-21 season. dark

Home/Spartans Basketball