Monmouth-NJ Hawks vs. Michigan St Spartans Pick & Prediction NOVEMBER 4th 2024

Preview and Prediction

Michigan State commences its 30th season with Tom Izzo at the helm, but this time without the preseason hype that surrounded them last year. This could actually work in their favor, as they were projected as a top-five team before the 2023-24 campaign but ultimately fell short of expectations.

Despite a disappointing season, the Spartans managed to extend their streak of NCAA tournament appearances to 26 years. However, they are determined to achieve more than just making it 27 in a row as they kick off their season against Monmouth on Monday in East Lansing, Michigan.

Although they lost their top three scorers from last year's 20-15 team, Michigan State still boasts a strong guard lineup with senior Jaden Akins (10.4 ppg in 2023-24) and junior Tre Holloman (5.7 ppg) leading the way. They also have sophomore point guard Jeremy Fears (3.5 ppg in 12 games) returning, but he is still working to regain his form after being injured last December.

In the frontcourt, the Spartans are expecting a breakout season from sophomore Xavier Booker (3.7 ppg) and have added senior forward Frankie Fidler, a transfer from Omaha who averaged 20.1 points per game last year. Fidler brings size and length to the wing, adding depth to the team.

Coach Izzo, who will turn 70 in January, has a lot of options when it comes to his starting lineup. He stated, "I could start nine different people right now in my mind... (I'm) trying to separate that a little bit in my mind. But also the freshmen are going to take a little time."

On the other side, Monmouth was predicted to finish eighth in the Coastal Athletic Association preseason poll. However, they have some standout players in sophomore forward Jaret Valencia (8.9 ppg, 4.4 rpg in 2023-24) and junior guard Jack Collins (10.7 ppg), who were named to the CAA's preseason second team and honorable mention, respectively.

The Hawks will face a tough schedule, with their first 11 games all being played away from home. Head coach King Rice acknowledged that this is a challenge for a smaller program, stating, "Hopefully it's not a thing we have to do every year. But this year, with NIL and all the other things, and our budgets, we had to bite the bullet and play these high-major games."

In conclusion, Michigan State and Monmouth are both entering the new season with something to prove. The Spartans hope to bounce back from a disappointing year and continue their streak of NCAA tournament appearances, while the Hawks are looking to make a statement against tough competition. It will be an exciting matchup to watch as both teams battle it out on the court.

PREDICTION

Monmouth-NJ Hawks

Michigan St Spartans

Monmouth-NJ Hawks vs. Michigan St Spartans Recap NOV 4TH 2024

Jaden Akins scored a game-high 23 points to lead Michigan State to an 81-57 season-opening home win over Monmouth in East Lansing on Monday.

A senior guard, Akins went 8-of-12 from the field and added nine rebounds for the Spartans. Freshman Jase Richardson was the only other Michigan State player in double-figures, scoring 10 points. Szymon Zapala had nine points and eight rebounds as well for Michigan State, which shot 27 of 43 on 2-point attempts, which made up for going just 3 of 18 from 3-point range and 18 of 27 from the free-throw line.

Michigan State held a 48-31 rebounding advantage.

Abdi Bashir Jr. scored 20 points in defeat for Monmouth, which shot 27.9 percent from the field overall (17 of 61), with eight of those made field goals being from 3-point range.

Monmouth stayed within striking distance in the second half, cutting Michigan State's lead to 53-43 with 11:51 remaining after a 3-pointer by Andrew Ball.

But the Spartans got some breathing room after that, going on a 7-0 spurt and taking a 60-43 lead with 9:50 remaining following a dunk by Akins that was created on a defensive steal by Richardson.

Michigan State eventually built its lead up to 20 at 66-46 following a dunk by Zapala with 7:20 to play.

Trailing 38-27 at halftime, Monmouth scored the first five points of the second half to cut Michigan State's lead to 38-32.

The Spartans countered with an 8-2 run to take a 46-34 lead with 16:02 remaining in the game after a 3-pointer by Akins.

Michigan State was hot from the start, scoring the first nine points of the game and jumping out to a 17-2 lead with 12:53 remaining in the first half.

Monmouth managed to cut its deficit to 27-17 with 6:43 remaining in the first half before trailing by 11 at intermission.