Michigan State Basketball: Final grades for the 2021-22 season
By Nate Rhoades
Starters (overall grade): B
The starters did not dazzle this year. They were mediocre to average all season long. The starters relied on the bench to come in and score a large number of points for them in order to win a few games. These starters did not take over the games this year and failed to bring the energy needed to start — especially near the end of the regular season. The Spartans needed the starters to bring their best and they failed to do so many times this season.
Tyson Walker: B
Tyson Walker came into the program bringing some hope for an improved point guard position with him. He struggled to get off to a hot start but improved throughout the year. He went on to have some scoring games. He was the hot hand in some games, such as versus Illinois, but not enough. He was only aggressive down the stretch in games which is why he is only getting a B grade. Walker will be back and he should have a better second season in 2022-23.
Max Christie: B
Max Christie was a five-star recruit coming out of high school. He came in with high expectations put on him and he struggled to break out of his shell. His saving grace was his defensive ability. He was a better defender than all thought coming into this season. However, he struggled on the offensive side of the ball. This could be because he was tasked with playing the most minutes while defending the best opposing player all while adjusting to the college style of play. Christie should be back for a sophomore campaign and will take a huge step in becoming a great player for the Spartans.
Gabe Brown: C+
Gabe Brown was a senior leader and captain for this team. Although he averaged the most points per game with 11.6, he disappeared far too often in the second half of the season. He failed to take the step towards outspoken leader which is what this team desperately needed.
Brown was seen just hiding on the baseline corner and did not get in there to fight for rebounds or steals in the second half of the season like he was doing when the season started. The Spartans needed Brown’s leadership and experience and far too often he was quiet. Brown has the option to come back for one more year due to COVID but nothing has been announced yet. I doubt he will make a comeback but you never know.
Joey Hauser: B-
Joey Hauser had his best season as a Spartan this year. He did not do a ton of scoring but he improved a ton for his senior campaign. Joey was able to find his shooting touch this year when he did shoot and shot 40 percent from deep. He was also one of the best free throw shooters on the team.
Hauser was still a liability on the defensive end but not as much as he was last year. He still committed silly fouls and turnovers but this year he was not trying to do too much. He was letting his game and shot come to him rather than forcing things up to get things going for him. He knew he did not have to lead the team in scoring, he just needed to contribute and he did just that. He has the chance to also come back for two more seasons, a COVID year and redshirt year, but we have no word on where he stands for now.
Marcus Bingham Jr.: B+
Marcus Bingham is probably the Spartan who had the most improvement in his game. He played more minutes than what he was used to and he was able to take the all-time block record away from Xavier Tillman. Bingham was the best low post defender all year. He made it rough on big men to score down low. Although he was thinner than most, he was able to make it up in his length.
The only reason why Bingham is not getting an A is that he wanted to play off the block on the offensive side too much. Bingham had his best game in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament when they played and beat Wisconsin. He tied a career-high of 19 points while shooting 63 percent (7-for-11) and attempting no 3-pointers. He played on the block the entire time he was in and he excelled. If he would have pushed his pride of shooting the three aside and played on the block all season, he would have been one of the best big men in the Big Ten.