If Izzo were definitely going after a 5 in the portal I think you’d say Hauser at the 4 is a slam dunk. But I think he’s probably resigned himself to it at least somewhat unless his plan is a ton of Kohler minutes. Sissoko averaged 2 foul outs per 40 and played 3.5 minutes per game over their last 10. That can’t be the plan. That can’t even be the backup plan.
OTOH if he really leans into it, they could be a lot of fun to watch. Super small, lots of pace, at least some shooting. Will be fun to watch Izzo have to fight his own instincts, at least.
(Have said this before but you get a nice taste for what Tarris has to work on. You know he’s going to get back to his right hand to shoot or drive, bruh.)
I buy that MSU could be good/interesting next year if they went:
Hoggard 30
Walker 30
Hall 30
Hauser 30
Kohler 25
With Akins backing up everything 1-3 and getting his own 30. But even that being viable would rely on Hoggard being legitimately good and Kohler being a #1 option center.
And even if both are true, I don’t trust Izzo for one second to actually execute that. He’ll overplay guys like Tre Holloman and Mady Sissoko and Pierre Brooks at the expense of getting any of his top 5 players 30+ minute roles.
If he wants to play Keon Coleman 30mpg because he’s a football player that would be awesome. It just feels like the roster has this enormous glowing neon sign saying “PLAY SMALL” that even Izzo can’t ignore.
If he does ignore it maybe then we can say he’s truly entering a Dantonio death spiral. But until and unless that happens I’m predicting the roster will force him to play to its strengths and his team will be quite good.
FWIW, this is the first time in the extended KenPom era (going back to '97, his 2nd season) that he’s finished outside the top 40 in consecutive seasons. Think it’s pretty likely something has changed. To what extent, hard to say.
That’s another concern. If only our 2019 team could have played them before Nick Ward got hurt and Tillman moved into the starting lineup and they just gave Winston the ball on P/R the whole time.
Yeah I understand their other options, or lack thereof, whatever you might say. Was just curious if anyone thinks a Big Ten team with Hauser at the 5 could be good.
Honestly the decline of instate talent and talent across the midwest was always going eventually catch up to izzo, his program was built almost entirely around local talent. Add his unwillingness to embrace the transfer portal, i really think the decline of izzo is here.