Michigan State Basketball: 3 bold predictions vs. Toledo Rockets
By Nate Rhoades
Michigan State basketball is coming off a dominating win against Louisville and looks to keep the strong play up. What’s going to happen in this one?
Michigan State basketball takes on the Rockets from Toledo on Saturday night. The Spartans have ramped up the defense this season — after an awful showing last year — to now be ranked second in adjusted defensive efficiency, according to Kenpom.
While they are dominating on the defensive end of the court they are still struggling a bit on the offensive side. This is majorly due to such a high turnover rate which ranks 306th nationally. The Spartans will need to figure this out if they want to take a run at Purdue for the Big Ten title this year.
Though they are having some struggles on the offensive side they will not have that issue against Toledo. It will seem that everything goes right for them in this contest.
So here are three bold predictions.
3. Malik Hall will have another career night
Malik Hall has been a solid player for the Spartans this year. However, he has been hit or miss. In his last four games, he has scored 24 points, two points, three points, 15 points, respectively. There has not been any consistency with Hall up until this point in his game this year.
This will be a turning point in Hall’s career and he’ll insert himself as a consistent go-to scorer from now on. Hall will break his career-high in points which he set early this year with 24 points against Loyola Chicago. In the game he scored 24 points he went perfect from the floor. He was on fire all night.
This same thing will not be the case in the game against the Rockets but he will be close. Hall will finish the night with 32 points against Toledo. He will be 11-for-14 from the floor including 3-for-4 from deep and a perfect 7-for-7 from the line.
Adding to this career scoring performance Hall will finish the night with 10 rebounds as well giving Hall his second career double-double and first of the season.
This kind of night will go a long way in giving the kind of confidence Hall will need. He will take this game and remember it as the game that took off his career and from here on out Hall will be a go-to scorer when the Spartans need a spark.