Tre Holloman saves Senior Night for Michigan State basketball
Unsung Hero Tre Holloman Leads the Spartans to a Victory in their Home Finale.
By Carlos Araoz
Michigan State basketball edged Northwestern for a much-needed win at the Breslin Center on Wednesday evening, 53-49. Without Tre Holloman's contributions off the bench, the Spartans would have surely dropped their third straight home game. The sophomore guard was incredible during his 25 minutes of action, scoring 12 points and grabbing four rebounds all without committing a single turnover.
Holloman's impact was monumental especially considering that starter Jaden Akins went scoreless. He led an effort to hound Northwestern star (and notorious Spartan killer) Boo Buie by holding him to several points below his season average. He made sure the Senior Night postgame festivities weren't ruined all while helping MSU pad its NCAA Tournament resume.
A mind-blowing stat that we won't see again anytime soon: MSU made only two 3-point field goals, and it was Holloman who hit them both. His teammates went ice cold from deep (0-for-11).
Holloman confidently buried four clutch free throws during the final 3.5 minutes, two to pull the Spartans ahead when they were down one with just over three minutes to play and two more to ice the game (after he was fouled tracking down a defensive rebound) with nine seconds to go, making it a two-possession game.
With Tyson Walker being such a high-volume shooter and AJ Hoggard's being so ball dominant, we haven't had a chance to truly see Holloman flourish when he plays alongside these upperclassmen. The Minnesota native has made dramatic improvements to his shot from his freshman year to now. His 3-point percentage has jumped from 23 to 41 percent in year one versus year two. His growth is a testament to how much of a gym rat he is and this trend demonstrates him having the ability to take his overall game to even greater heights in the offseasons to come.
Walker and Hoggard are wrapping up their careers yet the future backcourt is loaded with talent as Holloman will be joined by Jeremy Fears when he returns from injury this summer. If Holloman's performance against the Wildcats was an indicator of what's to come, MSU's program is in good hands as Holloman has the confidence and skillset to be the next great Spartan guard.