Michigan State Basketball: 3 takeaways from exhibition win vs. Ferris State

While everyone has been thinking about Hate Week, the Michigan State basketball exhibition opener somewhat flew under the radar on Wednesday night.

Ferris State came to town to battle the Spartans and Michigan State came away with a 92-58 blowout win. It was a solid look for the surprisingly unranked Spartans, but there’s still a lot to work on.

Putting the shaky BTN+ camera work aside (I know, it was probably a student camera crew), the Spartans looked good on Wednesday, dominating from start to finish and they even got a chance to play the walk-ons for the final 6-7 minutes of the game. The score could have been more lopsided, but the end-of-bench guys got a ton of run.

What’d we learn from the first exhibition game of the season?

3. This team is going to thrive on the fast break

One of the major differences between last year’s team and this year’s is that the current group likes to get out and run a little bit more.

AJ Hoggard has gotten in better shape and looks like a different player and can lead the fast break without turning the ball over. He’s crafty with the ball in his hands and he looks quicker and he’s making smarter decisions. It’s pretty clear the game has slowed down for him.

Tyson Walker, too, is good in the fast break and likes to speed things up which is exactly what Tom Izzo wants to see from his guys. Michigan State is at its best when it’s excelling in the fast break.

Everyone can run, too. Max Christie, Gabe Brown, Malik Hall, Marcus Bingham Jr., Joey Hauser, Jaden Akins, and even Julius Marble can get down the court in a hurry.

It was a sight for sore eyes seeing the Spartans push the ball.