Michigan State basketball: 3 bold predictions vs. red-hot Maryland team

NEW YORK, NY - FEBRUARY 04: Malik Hall #25 of the Michigan State Spartans in action against Caleb McConnell #22 of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights during a game at Madison Square Garden on February 4, 2023 in New York, New York. Rutgers defeated Michigan State 61-55. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) /

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NEW YORK, NY – FEBRUARY 04: A.J. Hoggard #11 of the Michigan State Spartans in action against Antwone Woolfolk #13 and Derek Simpson #0 of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights during a game at Madison Square Garden on February 4, 2023 in New York, New York. Rutgers defeated Michigan State 61-55. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) /

2. AJ Hoggard has his best game in a month

AJ Hoggard has been struggling a little bit of late. He’s scored fewer than 10 points in two of the last three games and during that span, he has just nine assists to 10 turnovers. That’s unacceptable for one of the best guards in the Big Ten and a veteran, at that.

If Michigan State wants to climb out of its current slump, Hoggard needs to play some of his best basketball down the stretch. That’ll start on Tuesday against Maryland.

The Terrapins have been one of the hottest teams in the Big Ten for a couple of weeks and while they’ll be hungry to pull off a road “upset” in East Lansing, Hoggard is going to do his best Cassius Winston impression and put the team on his back with his best game in a month.

It’ll help that Malik Hall will have a bounce-back game to take some of the pressure off, and Hoggard will assert his dominance as an aggressive, driving guard. He’ll finish with his best overall performance since the Michigan win in January, scoring 16 points with eight assists, two steals, and just one turnover.

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