Three Things to Watch: Michigan State vs. Wisconsin

East Lansing, Mich. – Michigan State is 2-0 since the resumption of Big Ten play last week, and 3-1 overall against conference opponents. Two of those three Big Ten victories for Michigan State came at home at the Breslin Center. The Spartans have played three of their first four conference games at home this season.

Coming off home wins against Nebraska and Michigan, the Spartans head to Wisconsin for a Tuesday night match-up at the Kohl Center. The defending Big Ten-champion Badgers, who lost Johnny Davis to NBA Draft and Brad Davison to graduation, aren’t the same team they were last season.

That’s not to say that Wisconsin is no longer a formidable opponent. The Badgers remain one of the best coached teams in the Big Ten, and Wisconsin still has a strong nucleus of returning players. The Badgers have won six of their last seven games and boast an impressive 5-1 record against Quad 1 and 2 opponents.

Continue below for Three Things to Watch in Michigan State’s road match-up at Wisconsin.

1. Can Joey Hauser lift Michigan State with bounce-back game?

Hauser has been Michigan State’s most consistent player this season. He ranks second among Spartan players in scoring (13.3) and leads Michigan State in rebounding (7.8). Hauser is vastly improved as a defender and his conditioning is far better this season than in previous years.

Hauser is coming off one of his toughest shooting performances of the season, going 1-of-7 from behind the 3-point line against Michigan. Hauser shot 3-of-14 against the Wolverines. He got great looks. Shots didn’t fall.

In past years, Hauser would have let his performance against Michigan get him down. In the locker room after the game, Hauser was all smiles. He wasn’t about to let a rough shooting night get him down in the minutes after a big win against a hated rival.

That is the new, improved Joey Hauser. He has been upbeat and positive all season long. And in the rare instances when Hauser has had a tough night, he has typically bounced back strong the next time out. After scoring just two points on 0-for-5 shooting in the season opener against Gonzaga, Hauser delivered a 23-point, eight-rebound performance in a Champions Classic win over Kentucky his next time out.

Hauser’s performance against Michigan wasn’t as forgettable as his season-opener against Gonzaga. He shot the ball poorly against the Wolverines, but he found other ways to impact the game. Hauser led the Spartans in rebounding with 10. Hauser was also sturdy on defense, helping out when Michigan State double-teamed Hunter Dickinson.

Michigan State needs solid defense and rebounding from Hauser in this game. The Spartans also need him to make shots, especially in his team’s half-court offense.

Wisconsin does as good a job as anybody in the Big Ten of getting back in transition and forcing teams to play at a tempo favoring the Badgers. Given Wisconsin’s penchant for using most of the shot-clock on most possessions, Michigan State is unlikely to get as many offensive possessions against the Badgers as it would in a typical game.

Against good defensive teams, Michigan State needs Hauser to knock down shots in his role as a stretch four. Without a floor-stretching presence at forward, it’s going to be tough for Michigan State to get much going to the basket.

2. Wisconsin needs Tyler Wahl to be best version of itself

Wisconsin senior Tyler Wahl (6-9, 215) is one of the more underrated players in the Big Ten. He has been for several years. Wahl has played 106 career games for Wisconsin, making 65 career starts. He averaged 7.3 points and 6.5 rebounds per game over the course of his career and is 224 points short of the 1,000-point scoring plateau.

Much like Malik Hall, Wahl is a player whose impact cannot be measured by stats alone. In many ways, Wahl, is the straw that stirs the drink for Wisconsin. As a senior, Wahl has taken over the role of leading scorer for the Badgers, averaging 13.2 points per game. On defense, Wahl is a skilled communicator and an impact player.

Wahl did not play for Wisconsin during Saturday’s loss at Illinois due to an ankle injury suffered in the first half of a three-point win over Minnesota earlier in the week. His absence was a key reason why Wisconsin lost by 10 points to the Illini. Without Wahl on the floor to lead the Wisconsin defense, Illinois got a monster performance from star forward Coleman Hawkins, who scored 20 points with six 3-pointers.

Neither Wisconsin coach Greg Gard nor any of his players were willing to use Wahl’s absence as an excuse for their inability to play up to their program’s defensive standards against Illinois. They did, however, bemoan poor communication on switches that gave Hawkins and the Fighting Illini better looks than they’ve gotten to this point in Big Ten play.

It is unclear whether Wahl will play against Michigan State at home on Tuesday. The Spartans are practicing as if Wahl will play.

During his press conference on Monday, Gard did not rule Wahl out for Tuesday’s game against Michigan State. Gard did, however, indicate that Wahl did not practice on Sunday. It is unclear if Wahl practiced on Monday.

If Wahl does not play, look for junior forward Carter Gilmore (6-7, 225) to make his second career start. Prior to replacing Wahl in the starting lineup, Gilmore was averaging 3.1 points and 2.5 rebounds while playing just under 20 minutes per game. Gilmore played a career-high 30 minutes against Illinois.

Wisconsin has a solid post presence in junior Steven Crowl (7-0, 245), who is averaging 12.5 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game. Crowl delivered a solid performance last time out against Illinois, recording a double-double in the loss. While Crowl is dangerous enough on his own, he is even better when Wahl is on the floor.

If Wahl is out for another game or more, there is a good chance that the Badgers will see their performance level dip the way the Spartans did during the month-plus that Hall was out with a stress reaction in his foot.

3. Hoggard can be an X-Factor for Michigan State vs. Wisconsin

Michigan State point guard AJ Hoggard is at his best when he can attack off the dribble and create scoring chances for himself or kick the ball out to open teammates. During the last month, Hoggard has elevated his play. He is making better decisions with the ball, and he has done a better job of balancing his role as a facilitator with his role as a scorer. Against Michigan, Hoggard made winning plays for his team from start to finish. Hoggard’s role as a scorer grew as the game played out.

Against well-coached defenses like Wisconsin, Hoggard needs to be the X-Factor he was against Michigan, and earlier in the year against Penn State. His ability to hit mid-range jumpers or to muscle the ball to the rim could be a key component for Michigan State to earn a victory in a close game.

Hoggard is one of the most improved players in the Big Ten. He leads the Big Ten in both assists (6.3) and assist-to-turnover ratio during conference games. Hoggard has also improved his effectiveness as a scorer. He is averaging (12.1) points per game, third best for Michigan State behind Tyson Walker and Hauser.

The point guard match-up in this game between Hoggard and Wisconsin sophomore Chucky Hepburn (6-2, 205) is one of the more interesting match-ups in this game. Both Hepburn and Hoggard are big point guards and both can score in the paint when needed.

Defending Hepburn will be a challenge for Hoggard, who is vastly improved as a defender. Hoggard tends to thrive in match-ups like this one. He was outstanding against Penn State’s Jalen Pickett. Michigan State will need another standout defensive performance by Hoggard against Hepburn for the Spartans to get a big road victory at Wisconsin.