Tyson Walker gets his mojo back, once again scoring leader for Michigan State

East Lansing, Mich. – Michigan State guard Tyson Walker felt like he hadn’t hit a shot during the entire month of December. So, scoring 21 points on 9-of-15 shooting in a 74-56 Michigan State win over Nebraska on Tuesday night was a big deal for the Spartan senior.

“I was definitely upset,” said Walker, who is averaging a team-best 13.9 points per game. “The whole month of December, I didn’t make any shots. So for me to make some shots today felt good.”  

Walker’s assessment of his play during the final month of 2022 isn’t entirely accurate. Statistically-speaking, his production during the month of December did drop off some in comparison to where it was during a brutal non-conference schedule in November.

In December, Walker averaged 10.6 points, 1.8 assists, and 1.4 rebounds, while playing 28 minutes per game. In those five games, he shot 42 percent overall and 36.1 percent from three. He made four fewer threes in December than in November, but Michigan State also played three fewer games.

During the month of November, Walker averaged 15.1 points, 4.3 assists, and 3.3 rebounds while playing 37 minutes per game. He reached double figures in scoring in seven of Michigan State’s first eight games. During that span, Walker led the Spartans in made field goals while shooting 43 percent overall and 36.4 percent from three.

Statistically, Walker wasn’t in a slump. Mentally, he was hungry to have a big game.

Although Walker’s shooting percentage numbers were almost identical in December as they had been in November, Michigan State coach Tom Izzo believed that Walker wasn’t playing well as he had during his first eight games. Nobody was happier than Izzo to see Walker play as well as he did against a much-improved Nebraska ballclub.

“Tyson (Walker), it was fun to see him, because he’s been struggling,” Izzo said. “He has been missing shots, but he’s come in and worked. We’ve talked about getting a little more arch on the ball. He was fired up, because today, he did a good job in the shootaround, and that’s why at the end of the game, he felt good.”

Putting in work

Although he was frustrated with his shooting during the month of December, Walker was not discouraged.

“I am always confident because I put in a lot of work on my game,” Walker said. “When the shot is not going in, I like to say, ‘it’s not my fault.’ Sometimes shots don’t go in. I put in a lot of work the last couple of days making sure that I had things down.”

Shooting mechanics right were a focal point for the Spartan senior. “Sometimes, I’m not holding my follow through, or I’m shooting flat,” he said. “So, I was just doing everything to make sure my shot was good.”

For Walker, the most frustrating thing about the final month of 2022 was the lack of games. Michigan State played just three games in 20 days between a Dec. 10 match-up with Brown and a final non-conference tune-up against Buffalo on December 30.

Against Buffalo, Walker had one of his toughest games of the season. He scored just seven points on 2-of-8 shooting and missed all four of his shots from behind the 3-point line. The timing of that non-conference game, however, and the aggressive defensive style of play Michigan State faced against Buffalo helped Walker and his teammates against Nebraska.

“Playing just really helps you, and I think the last game against Buffalo really helped us with just how aggressive they were,” Walker said. “That really helped us today because they were a really aggressive team on defense. We put together a good three-fourths of a game of guarding and playing good offense.”

Mid-range Menace

Walker did most of his damage against Nebraska inside the arc. Michigan State forwards set physical screens, while the Spartans moved the ball as well as they have all season in their half-court offense. Good screens and crisp passing freed Walker up for several mid-range jumpers. The senior guard was 6-of-9 shooting inside the 3-point line.

In the first half alone, Walker scored 16 points, which was one fewer than Nebraska scored for the half.

“That was awesome seeing him bounce back,” senior forward Joey Hauser said. “He’s struggled a little bit with his shot lately. He almost outscored them in the first half. We know that on any given night he can break out and go on a streak like that.”

As a team, Michigan State shot 57.5 percent from two against Nebraska. Around half of Michigan State’s scoring production inside the arc against Nebraska came from mid-range jumpers. The way Nebraska aggressively doubles the post and clogs up the interior makes it difficult to generate back-to-the-basket scoring opportunities. The mid-range jumper on the baseline, however, was available throughout this game, and Walker was lethal inside the arc.

“Their coverage and how they loaded up to the middle of the paint was problem,” Walker said. “Some teams just hug everywhere and allow you pick-and-rolls and to throw the lobs. (Nebraska) kind of just sat in the paint. It was kind of more of a two-point game or attacking long close outs.”

Michigan isn’t as aggressive on defense as Nebraska, but the Spartans should be able to get plenty of open looks inside the 3-point line once again, when the face their in-state rival at Breslin Center on Saturday. Because Michigan center Hunter Dicksinson lacks the foot quickness to hedge on ball screens, Walker and other Michigan State guards will likely have room for open mid-range jumpers.

If Walker continues to shoot the ball with confidence and efficiency, the mid-range jumper could potentially create a lot of problems for the Wolverines.