Michigan State basketball: 3 players primed to level up in conference play

If the Malik Hall we've seen over the past two games is who we can expect for the rest of Big Ten play, Michigan State will be in a really good spot moving forward.

The senior forward was expected to be a veteran presence this season and a captain figure who could help lead Michigan State to a national title. However, he had a rough start to his 2023-24 season and his redemption story was put on hold. Over the past three games, however, something seems to have clicked. He has turned things around in a big way.

Against Stony Brook, he had nine points and three rebounds, shooting 50 percent from the floor in just 18 minutes of a 44-point blowout. Michigan State didn't necessarily need him to be great, but he was solid and he only built on that the next game against a really good Indiana State team. In fact, he finished with 18 points, eight rebounds, and five assists against the Sycamores, leading to a 12-point win at home.

Finally, the Spartans re-kicked off Big Ten play on Thursday night and he put up a career-high 24 points while shooting 9-for-12 from the floor and hitting both of his threes. He added five rebounds, four assists, and three steals while also shutting down Puff Johnson.

Hall looks poised to take that next step in Big Ten play and I can see him becoming a Joey Hauser-like redemption story for the Spartans.