NCAA

Tyson Walker Leads Michigan State To Sweet 16, Finds Car Towed On Campus

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James Foglio
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James Foglio Sports Editor

James is a Basketball Insiders contributor. He earned his bachelor's degree in English and Creative Writing from Southern New Hampshire University. James enjoys watching sports and helping gamblers win money.

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Sports Editor

Updated21 Mar 2023

Tyson Walker Leads Michigan State To Sweet 16 With Win Over Marquette, Finds Car Towed On Campus

Although Tyson Walker led No. 7 Michigan State to a 69-60 upset win over No. 2 Marquette to advance his team to the Sweet 16 on Sunday, the senior guard discovered his car had been towed on campus in East Lansing.

“How I get back to campus and they towed my car,” posted Walker, who logged 23 points, two rebounds, two assists, and one steal in 36 minutes of action against the Golden Eagles.

Per a few March Madness betting sites, Tyson Walker and Michigan State have 11th-shortest odds to win the 2023 NCAA Tournament. Sportsbooks are showing better odds for No. 3 Xavier, No. 3 Kansas State, and No. 4 Tennessee.

Tyson Walker led the Spartans in scoring, and now the 6-foot-1 guard leads the team in tickets. Michigan State coach Tom Izzo recalled a comical conversation between him and Walker. Izzo hopes one day the 2021 CAA Defensive Player of the Year will pay for a few things for a trip to New York City.

“Well, we’re going home,” said Izzo. “And I told him [Walker] two things: You get me there — I want a cab ride and one of them big slices of pizza. So that’s what Tyson owes me. He can pay for it with his NIL money.”

Tyson Walker leads Michigan State to Sweet 16 with 69-60 upset win over Marquette, finds car towed on campus in East Lansing

For Walker’s sake, he better recover his car as soon as possible in East Lansing. In all seriousness, the 2023 NCAA Tournament is everyone’s main focus right now. After upsetting No. 2 Marquette, the Spartans are now aiming to defeat No. 3 Kansas State in the Sweet 16.

“It means everything,” replied Walker on what it meant to see the Spartans win as 3.5-point underdogs. “Just growing up, seeing everything, playing at the Garden. Just to make those shots, look over see my dad, see how excited he was. That means everything. And I just owe Coach some pizza now. And a cab ride.”

Izzo advanced to his 15th regional semifinal and won his 16th March Madness game with a lower-seeded team, one more than Syracuse’s Jim Boeheim, who retired after this season.

“I’ve been in Elite Eight games. I’ve been in the Final Four. That was as intense and tough a game as I’ve been in my career,” mentioned Izzo. “And a lot of credit goes to Marquette and [coach] Shaka [Smart] and how they played, too.

“We’ve still got some dancing to do, and we’re going to New York. I couldn’t be more excited for Tyson and even A.J. [Hoggard], being a Philly guy.” Joey Hauser, a Marquette transfer, contributed 14 points and 10 boards in 35 minutes played. Hoggard added 13 points, three rebounds, four assists, and one steal in 29 minutes.

During the regular season, Tyson Walker averaged 14.8 points, 2.5 boards, 2.8 assists, 1.2 steals, and 33.7 minutes per game in 33 starts. Plus, he shot a career-best 46.2% from the field and 48.9% beyond the arc.

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