Michigan State basketball gets good news ahead of Buffalo game

Bad news has struck Michigan State basketball for the past month, or so, as Jaden Akins and Malik Hall both suffered injuries that kept them out for a while.

Akins has since returned to the court and he’s been heating up recently while Hall has been out over a month for an injury that was only supposed to keep him out a few weeks.

With Big Ten play approaching, the Spartans desperately needed some good news on the injury front as depth would be an issue without him being at full strength before New Year’s.

Well, the good news came rolling in for Michigan State on Wednesday as Tom Izzo spoke to the media. He said that Hall is expected to play against Buffalo and that Keon Coleman has been practicing with the team. Added depth is always welcome, even if some are worried about Coleman and his health while playing hoops.

These two tidbits are great news for the Spartans as they look to get healthy before starting Big Ten play again. Being 8-4 to this point feels like a miracle and the Spartans have a much higher ceiling with everyone healthy and Coleman added to the roster.

Malik Hall is Michigan State basketball’s missing piece

Ever since Hall was sidelined, it felt like the team was missing something. He was the glue that held everything together and that was never more apparent than when he was in a walking boot.

Now that he’s back, Michigan State has a leader on the floor and a guy who can facilitate from the middle of the offense and defend post players as well as wings at a high level. No more looking confused on defense as Hall will be the guy to bring it all together and hold everyone accountable.

As for Coleman, it’ll be nice to add an athletic wing if other guys are hurt or in foul trouble. He’s more than capable of playing minutes.