3 Observations: Absent Tyson Walker, Michigan State blasts Alcorn State as Tre Holloman shines

Following a 74-54 win over Butler on Friday, Michigan State men's basketball had a quick turnaround when the Spartans welcomed Alcorn State to the Breslin Center on Sunday to begin the inaugural Acrisure Invitational.

Even on short rest, and without the Big Ten's leading scorer in senior guard Tyson Walker, Michigan State cruised to an easy 81-49 victory over the Braves to improve to 3-2 this season. The Spartans now have a stiff test awaiting on Thanksgiving Day, when they travel to Palm Springs, Calif for a neutral site matchup with No. 3 Arizona.

But first, here are a few observations from tonight's dominant victory for MSU...

1.) Have a night, Tre Holloman!

With Walker out of the lineup tonight due to illness, Tre Holloman made his first career start and took full advantage of his opportunity. The sophomore guard made his presence felt immediately, opening the game 4-for-4 from 3-point range and leading the Spartans with 12 points in the first half. Coming into tonight's game, Holloman had shot 5-of-21 from deep in his career, but head coach Tom Izzo has noted the sophomore's improved shooting this offseason.

Holloman stayed hot in the second half, knocking down a fifth 3-pointer and adding another bucket later in the half to finish with a career-high 17 points on 6-of-7 shooting. After opening the season shooting 21% from deep as a team, Michigan State desperately needs guys other than Walker and Jaden Akins to knock down outside shots. After tonight, maybe Holloman can be that next guy.

2.) Jaden Akins takes strides

Entering the game, Jaden Akins was shooting just 35% from the floor and was 3-for-16 from 3-point range so far this season. The junior's absence on the offensive end has been strongly felt, but Akins seemed to find his confidence tonight. 

The junior scored seven of the Spartans' first eight points to get Michigan State going after a bit of a slow start. Akins showed good patience after the hot start, and wound up finishing with 13 points on 5-of-11 shooting, including 3-for-6 from long range. The junior has made an impact with his rebounding throughout the season, but it was good to see him make a bigger impact on the offensive end of the floor. Furthermore, he continued to be productive in other areas outside of scoring, adding five rebounds and three assists to the box score.

3.) Nice night for Jeremy Fears, Coen Carr

Fears and Carr have been the most impactful freshman from Michigan State's 2023 class thus far, and both guys had excellent games off the bench today.

We'll start with Fears, whose maturity is so far beyond his years. The former five-star does not look like a freshman out there — he's poised, he defends well and he accepts coaching like few players his age nowadays. Tonight, Fears was just steady and mage a big impact off the bench with nine points (4-of-5 shooting), five assists, two steals, a blocked shot and a rebound.

Meanwhile, Carr was having a quiet night, but as we've come to learn early this season, the freshman can go supernova in a heartbeat. Carr was limited to just three points in the first half, but he put on a show in the second. It started when Carr threw down an alley-oop slam on a fastbreak off an assist from Akins. Minutes later, the freshman drove baseline and sent the Breslin Center crowd into a raucous with a gravity-defying two-handed slam over a defender, while drawing a foul. Carr capped his night with another two-handed transition slam, double-pumping in midair and hanging on the rim for dramatic effect. He sure knows how to put on a show...

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