Michigan State basketball’s Tre Holloman back in familiar role with boosted confidence

[ad_1]

EAST LANSING — Tre Holloman quietly has produced a breakout start to his second season.

Coach Tom Izzo is going to need his sophomore to become an even more integral contributor for Michigan State basketball the rest of the winter. Especially without his backup backcourt partner, Jeremy Fears Jr.

“I have to keep on being me, keep on doing what coach tells me to do, and I should be fine,” Holloman said after practice Thursday. “My teammates trust me, my teammates, believe in me. So I’m ready for it.”

The Spartans (7-5) host upstart Indiana State (11-1) on Saturday, with a 2 p.m. tipoff at Breslin Center on FS1. It is their first game since Fears was shot in the early morning of Dec. 23 in Joliet, Illinois. The freshman was expected to return to campus Friday, but he is likely to miss most, if not all, of the remainder of MSU’s season while recovering from the wounds to his left thigh.

“Jeremy, he’s a special kid, man. For real,” Holloman said. “He just helped me build my confidence back. So I’m just gonna take that, and I’m gonna keep building on that.”

GRAHAM COUCH: MSU can withstand losing Jeremy Fears Jr., but, no way around it, the Spartans will be a little less without him

Michigan State’s Tre Holloman passes the ball against Wisconsin during the second half on Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing.

Fears and Holloman have formed a strong second wave off the bench for Izzo behind starters A.J. Hoggard and Tyson Walker. Together, the backups have combined for 78 assists and 39 rebounds while averaging 9.5 points and turning into a smothering defensive duo that has posted 17 steals between them.

Now, with Fears out, Holloman will be called upon to resume the role he had a year ago as the primary backup point guard. The 6-foot-2, 180-pound Minneapolis native is fifth on the team at 18.7 minutes a game that predominantly have been spent at shooting guard behind Walker.

“He’s a lockdown guy defensively. There’s no question he was getting…

[ad_2]
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/michigan-state-basketballs-tre-holloman-234354977.html

Author : Detroit Free Press

Publish date : 2023-12-29 23:43:54

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.