Michigan State keeps on rolling after another tough victory in the Big Ten over No. 18 Wisconsin. Joey Hauser led the way with 20 points and eight boards on 6-8 shooting from the field.

Ever since Joey Hauser started his Spartan career in 2020 it’s been a roller coaster. Starting the season hot and then struggling after a strong performance on Christmas against Wisconsin. It carried over into the 21-22 season, with a struggle at times to confidently shoot the basketball. Coach Izzo would continually hammer the fact that Hauser was his best practice shooter, even despite his struggles. Then over the course of conference play and that confidence seemed to continue to increase and Hauser stopped pump faking instead of taking good looks.

Then, Joey showed his star potential with 27 points and 8 rebounds in the win over Davidson in the first round of the NCAA tournament. This led to the decision in the off season for Hauser to either return or pursue a professional career. Joey’s brother, Sam, who plays for the Celtics, helped sway his decision to return to college. With the opportunity to build on what happened the previous season, Hauser was ready to shine.

Fan favorite

Now, Hauser has quickly become a Michigan State fan favorite after previously receiving lots of hate from social media two seasons ago. As the heart of conference play is quickly approaching, Hauser is averaging over 13 PPG and shooting above a 47% from the field, which are both currently career highs.

Joey will have to continue providing in a big way for MSU down the stretch as the Spartans head to Illinois on Friday night and then take on currently top ranked Purdue at home on Monday.

Photo credit: MARK HOFFMAN/MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL / USA TODAY NETWORK

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