Tom Izzo evaluates offense under AJ Hoggard's leadership

Michigan State junior guard AJ Hoggard had a wonderful finish to the regular season, scoring 23 points and adding seven assists as the Spartans beat Ohio State on senior day. And while head coach Tom Izzo isn’t anointing Hoggard, he does see steady improvement in his game.

Izzo wants Hoggard to take fewer 3s off the dribble or trailing in transition but instead drive to the rim or pass to a teammate. Izzo added a bit of humor when discussing the detente he and Hoggard reached about what 3s he can shoot.

“You know I didn’t even notice his stats. But I guess 23 points and he takes 11 shots. And AJ and I got a deal: The inside-out 3s, he can shoot them. The other ones, you know, sometimes we don’t agree on,” Izzo said, while gesturing in a so-so motion with his left hand. “And he’s taking less and less of those. He’s 2-for-3, I thought every shot he took was a good shot. He’s been shooting 90 percent from the line every night in practice. The night before games, we shoot. He shot 91 percent last night. So, you know, he only had seven assists because some guys missed some shots, but he did only have one turnover, too.”

More performances similar to the one Hoggard put on against Ohio State can be a big key for Michigan State as the Spartans enter postseason play.

One of the keys to surviving in March, Izzo said, is strong guard play. With Hoggard coming on and senior Tyson Walker playing well, Michigan State can feel good about the backcourt at the most important time of the seasons.

“So when Tyson’s got six assists, he’s got seven assists. We get 17 assists on 29 baskets, not great for us, but it isn’t bad. And the ball is moving better. If we get our defense to match our offense right now — that seems like it should be easier to do than it probably is. But I think this team has a chance, you know, to make a run,” Izzo said. “You can be good, and it comes down to matchups in these tournaments. Could be the Big Ten Tournament, wrong matchup. Could be the NCAA Tournament, that stuff happens. But, we’re — our guard play has been better and better. And you usually need good guard play and you need to be able to defend to win in any kind of tournament scenario.”