Riding into Welsh-Ryan Arena on Sunday with five consecutive victories in its arsenal, Michigan State aimed to knock off a recently battered Northwestern side that took the teams’ last two battles.
With one squad churning full speed ahead and the other looking to find its wheels after a dismal road defeat, Spartan coach Tom Izzo knew better than to overlook longtime foil and graduate student guard Boo Buie. However, the Wildcats packed additive ammunition in a surprise addition to coach Chris Collins’ starting lineup.
Collins said there weren’t many positives to take away from the team’s Jan. 2 blowout loss to Illinois, but sophomore forward Luke Hunger’s energy offered one of few bright spots. In a move that Collins called a “gut feeling,” NU’s head coach made his first significant rotation shift this season.
“I just didn’t like the way we were starting games,” Collins said. “My instinct for the game was we needed to shake it up a little bit.”
Slotted to make his first career start, Hunger bounced around in warmups, seeking a debut display demonstrative of both his lofty ceiling and preparedness for significant Big Ten minutes. The forward high-fived teammates and went through his normal routine, but Sunday’s action proved anything but normal for the Canadian.
Hunger went toe-to-toe with Purdue’s Zach Edey in NU’s second consecutive upset victory of the AP No. 1 Boilermakers in December and carved out a sizable role off the bench into the thick of league play, but the 6-foot-10 forward was now set to start in one of the country’s most physical conferences.
Hunger saw spurts in 2022-23’s early season slate, before a broken foot derailed the rest of his freshman season. For Collins, the former No. 4 recruit out of Canada is still getting comfortable in what he called a first-year campaign “for all intents and purposes.”
“Not only did he not play, he didn’t really practice for us,” Collins said. “For him to come out after playing in a complementary role and start — give it the boost he did — was pretty awesome.”
Although Collins inserted Hunger into the starting five for a “spark,” the veteran coach said he didn’t expect the move to pay off so quickly.
Hunger made his first imprint just 36 seconds into Sunday’s game, answering Michigan State guard Tyson Walker’s opening 3-pointer with a quickfire layup in the lane. In a first half full of runs, the Montreal native converted his first four shots, tallying eight points in 12 minutes of action.
“We needed a little bit of new life in there, (but) I didn’t know he was gonna get the first basket and score 10 points,” Collins said. “I knew his energy. He’s an energetic kid. He’s a vocal kid. … I knew he would maybe give some energy to those other guys — and man he was awesome.”
Collins’ group also struggled on the offensive glass in its first 13 games, and a tenacious Spartan side that puts physicality at the forefront of its identity threatened to wreak havoc on the boards. Instead, Hunger corralled three first-half offensive rebounds, helping the ’Cats tally eight in the first frame.
With most eyes fixated on the elite point guard matchup of Buie vs. Walker, it took NU’s entire rotation’s effort to break the game open.
Buie, who compiled 10 assists and no turnovers, said he was super proud of his “close-friend” Hunger’s effort and performance Sunday.
“I know his last name is Hunger, but how hungry he’s been to get out there and contribute to the team … it’s really amazing what he’s been doing for us lately, and I’m just super proud of it,” Buie said.
As NU and Michigan State continue down their taxing 20-game league schedule, both Collins and Izzo emphasized the importance of their team’s ensuing tests.
For Collins, Sunday’s performance could carry game-changing potential for his young rising star as he looks to build a more solidified role and help his team compete in Big Ten play.
“(I’m) just really proud of him and hoping he’ll use this game as a springboard,” Collins said.
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