Michigan State Basketball: 3 quick reactions to commanding win over Michigan

1. AJ Hoggard was in control

AJ Hoggard was spectacular in this game. He was always looking to push the ball up the court and get some nice transition buckets. He finished with a double-double with 11 points and 10 assists. Oh, and he did this by only turning the ball over once.

This marks Hoggard’s first career double-double.

Hoggard was getting deep into the basket and is always looking to pass the rock. When he chooses not to pass the ball though he made the most of it hitting 4-for-6 shots. One of the most notable plays he had was he found an opening and drove to the bucket. He did a little hesitation move and head fake which made two Michigan defenders leave their feet and he had an easy layup.

The sophomore guard was finding all of the open players as well with his 10 assists. He drove to the basket early and was able to find a wide-open Max Christie who slammed it home. In the second half, he had a beautiful pass to Gabe Brown. He was near the free throw line when he saw a cutting Brown to the basket on the baseline. He lobbed it up for Brown to go get and he soared through the air, caught it with one hand, and flushed it through.

Hoggard was nearly unstoppable in the high-intensity game and it is exactly what the Spartans needed. The Spartans need this continued play from Hoggard going forward, especially with a slumping Tyson Walker.