PHOTO: Tre Holloman sparked the Spartans’ win Friday at Michigan with 18 points and four assists.

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By TOM SHANAHAN

Michigan State’s balanced lineup failing to land a player on the All-Big Ten basketball first, second or third teams is a real prospect despite the Spartans contending for the conference title, although freshman guard Jase Richardson’s late-season surge may be rewarded.

But either way, the Spartans’ success this season personifies the idiom, “the whole is greater than the sum of our parts.” Yes, that sounds like a cliche, but after a third straight impressive win Friday night at Michigan, the parts look like they can also equal a March Madness run.

Michigan State coach Tom Izzo’s team has thrived despite splitting time among 10 players averaging double-digit minutes. Izzo’s substitution patterns simulate a hockey line change.

Well, with bench play so important to Michigan State’s success, perhaps there is another way to honor the Spartans. Surely Michigan State’s bench includes a candidate for the Sixth Man of the Year Award.

The Sixth Man Award means something in Michigan State’s basketball culture. Two Spartans icons with NBA championship careers were past winners — Xavier Tillman (2018-19) and Draymond Green (2009-2010). Morris Peterson would have been a no-brainer in 1998-1999 – Izzo’s first Final Four season — but the award wasn’t instituted until 2005-06.

For most of the season, freshman Jase Richardson, sophomore Coen Carr and junior Carson Cooper were coming off the bench with strong minutes. Sophomore Xavier Booker and senior Frankie Fidler also had their moments lifting the Spartans from unranked in the preseason to a weekly presence in the polls.

But as the season winds down, a worthy sixth man candidate has emerged — Tre Hollomon. He was playing well as a starter in 16 of 27 games, but his impact has been bigger off the bench in the current sizzling three-game winning streak.

The 6-foot-2 junior guard put on a dazzling display Friday night at Michigan when he finished with 18 points and four assists. The Spartans’ 75-62 win lifted them into first place (22-5, 13-3 Big Ten), a half-game ahead of Michigan (20-6, 12-3 Big Ten).

Holloman entered the game with 16:07 to play and the Spartans’ trailing 42-40. First, he tied the score 42-42 with a layup. Then he erupted with three straight three-point field goals, bumping the Spartans’ leads to 51-47 with 12:16 left, 54-49 with 11:32 and 57-49 with 10:49.

Talk about a spark off the bench. This has been an inferno. And beating Michigan is the bonfire.

After the game, Izzo praised his team’s overall teamwork. And he singled out Holloman, citing his maturity to accept coming off the bench.

In the post-game press conference, Izzo cited his team’s overall unselfish play, but he also singled out Holloman’s maturity accepting a role off the bench.

“Tre Holloman … he probably deserves as much credit as anybody,” Izzo said. “I didn’t take him out of the starting lineup, but I took him out of the starting lineup. I talked to him. I told him why. He’s been absolutely phenomenal with Jase and Jeremy.

“I think he’s playing some of his best basketball. He had a couple of days of practice that he was phenomenal. That’s unselfish. That’s doing what’s best for the team. He’s being the captain that he is. I said we voted on one captain, and I picked one. I picked him, and rightfully so.”

Izzo’s decision to juggle the starting lineup was prompted by circumstance with the flu running through the roster. When the team returned from West Coast with back-to-back losses at USC and UCLA, the flu sidelined redshirt freshman starting point guard Jeremy Fears against Oregon. Izzo replaced him with Richardson, and he responded with 29 points.

When Fears recovered, Izzo wanted Fears to continue his role pushing the ball, but he also left Richardson in the starting lineup. Somebody had to give way, but Izzo didn’t make his move without calling Holloman into his office to explain his decision.

Izzo and his veteran staff had an idea of how to reposition their pieces, but it required the players’ willingness to accept adapting to the big picture. Holloman’s attitude could turn out to be the lynchpin or the monkey wrench. He’s been the lynchpin.

Although the Spartans collectively flopped in the loss to Indiana with Richardson, Fears, Jeremy Adkins, Jaxon Kohler and Szymon Zapala as starters, Holloman contributed to the sum with nine points and seven assists.

Then came the Spartans’ three-game winning streak with Holloman’s offensive burst off the bench and steady ballhandling. Holloman contributed 14 points and three assists at Illinois, seven points and six assists against Purdue and 18 points and four assists at Michigan.

The 26 minutes he played against Illinois was tied for second on the team. His 26 against Purdue was on par with Richardson, 29; Akins, 27; and Kohler, 27. Against Michigan, Holloman’s 26 minutes was second only to Richardson’s 33.

Holloman stood out of the bench the last three outings, but Carr, Cooper, Booker and Fidler remain capable game-changing sixth-man performances.

Yes, the Spartans may lack anyone on the first, second or third All-Big Ten teams, although Richardson may have catapulted himself into consideration. And MSU’s candidates may split votes for the Sixth Man Award.

But if it’s not too late for the Big Ten to inaugurate more awards, Izzo’s team could sweep the Sixth Man, Seventh Man, Eighth Man, Ninth Man and Tenth Man awards.

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Tom Shanahan is an award-winning sportswriter and frequent contributor to Spartanamag.com. His new book on Michigan State leading college football integration is, “THE RIGHT THING TO DO, The True Pioneers of College Football Integration in the 1960s.” His first book was “RAYE OF LIGHT, Jimmy Raye, Duffy Daugherty, the Integration of College Football and the 1965-66 Michigan State Spartans.”

I invite you to follow me on Twitter @shanny4055

Below are links to click on to purchase my books focused.

My books tell the true story of college football integration in the 1960s and address the myths and fiction that allowed a false narrative surrounding the 1970 USC-Alabama game to usurp the credit from the true pioneers. As I said when I spoke at the National Sports Media Association book festival, no two books provide an accurate portrayal more than RAYE OF LIGHT and THE RIGHT THING TO DO.

I’ll put my facts up against anybody, anytime, anywhere. Watch here.

Click here for my story on the 1962 Rose Bowl and Segregation awarded first place by the Football Writers Association of America. I tell untold stories on Michigan State’s leading role and the true pioneers of college football integration. Click here to read the summary as a first-place story.

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Click here to purchase The Right Thing To Do

THE RIGHT THING TO DO

The True Pioneers of College Football Integration in the 1960s

Foreword by Ruffin McNeill

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Click here to purchase Raye of Light.

RAYE OF LIGHT

Jimmy Raye, Duffy Daugherty, the 1ntegration of College Football and the 1965-66 Michigan State Spartans

Foreword by Tony Dungy

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Click here to purchase my children’s book, Bubba’s Dad, Duffy and College Football’s Underground Railroad

The book for now is only a Kindle version on Amazon. Print and audio platforms available soon.