Game Thoughts:
~Defense was pretty poor, but I suppose that's to be expected for the first game of the season. Guys have to get used to playing with each other and the different line-up combinations, as well as work on the rotations, switches, etc. Still, there were way too many uncontested shots. Lapses on defense are understandable at this point, but putting a hand in a guy's face isn't too hard, is it? That said, we did have 10 blocks and 9 steals. I'll take that every game for sure.
~Draymond Green got tore up on the defensive end by EMU's Brandon Bowdry. Even though Green lost some weight, he's still going to struggle at the small forward spot against quicker players. All the analysts are pretty spot on in saying that this is where we are going to miss Raymar Morgan the most. He may have made dumb fouls and have been invisible on the court from time to time (okay, a majority of the time), but he would have never been blown by the way Green was last night. We'll see how Izzo adapts to this weakness going forward.
~Payne and Appling were in regular rotation last night, and will be for the remainder of the year. Those two are the real deal. Appling had 14 pts, on 3-4 shooting, 1-1 from 3pt, and was 7-7 from the free throw line with 2 blocks and 3 assists to boot. He also committed 5 turnovers, but they weren't "what are you doing!?!" turnovers- just nervous first game freshman turnovers. Payne is pretty special. He can do things that no one else on our roster can do because he is such a freak athlete. He has a lot of learning to do (he made many dumb fouls), but he still had 10 points and 7 rebounds...in only 14 minutes of play. I already love watching the guy, and he's going to be a definite spark off our bench this year.
~My goodness, is it possible Derrick Nix has regressed? He no-showed last night. He missed a couple of shots and was just 2-4 from the free throw line in 15 minutes of play. Garrick Sherman far and away out played him (and so did Payne). I think the thing that was most disappointing was the way that Nix looked down low. Both of his shots were off balance and awkward. For a guy his size, he should be imposing his will, not trying to get cute with spin moves and head-fakes. And to be fair, the game was very up-tempo last night, which definitely does not favor Nix's game. Perhaps he'll be better in the Big Ten slug fests, but he better get it together right quick or he'll be lost in the rotation behind Roe, Sherman, and Payne.
~Austin Thornton remains my favorite Spartan through the first two exhibition games and first regular season game. 10 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 4-4 from the free throw line. He did a little bit of everything last night. He could be that guy that is a difference maker come March. The guy who when we play teams of equal starting talent that puts us over the top with his stellar contribution off the bench. At the very least his contributions last night made me forget all about the absence of Chris Allen.
~Speaking of absence, Korie Lucious and Mike Kebler were both out last night. The team will only get deeper.
~Lucas was awesome again last night. Any worries about his Achilles are over. He's back. Now lets hope he doesn't pull a Hummel and hurt himself again now that he's back.
~Summers made his presence known last night with 17 points (3-4 from 3's). That was the big question going into the season: Would he contribute like he did in the tournament, or would he fade into the background? He was very assertive and made it a point to take shots when he was open. He has such a sweet stroke that I don't mind if he shot the ball every time down the court. It was nice to seem him unleash his game (and not just for alley-oop passes).
~Even though Roe is healthy, I don't think he's ever going to be that offensive force down low. He'll definitely be a beast on the defensive end though, and I'll take that.
~Next game: Tuesday at 10:00pm, at home against South Carolina, on ESPN (part of their marathon college basketball day, hence the late start time). Big Ten-SEC clash, but I'll be disappointed if we don't beat them by at least ten.
~Mikey D
Tomorrow, 8:30, Big Ten Network, versus Eastern Michigan.
And for a more well written MSU basketball preview than my own, check out The Only Colors.
~Mikey D
Ah, it never gets old raising one of these bad boys, does it? It was one hell of a tournament run last year, that’s for sure. The injuries, the close games, and the buzzer beater- it was improbable to say the least, but a joy to witness. The tournament run is what I’ll remember most- and be the most proud of- about the 2009-2010 Spartans. But other than that, the season was, well, forgettable.
I have to be honest. Other than the tournament, it was tough watching MSU basketball last year. We had such high expectations, perhaps too high, but injuries and suspensions ravaged our roster and team play. Sure it was great watching Lucas drill jumpers to beat Michigan and Minnesota, but let’s be real- we should have beaten both of those teams handily. The team never clicked on or off the court. The chemistry was never there.
So when the season ended with that two-point loss to Butler (fuck them) there was a mixture of disappointment and relief. I was just glad to get on with the off season and start the next chapter. You know, the chapter of MSU basketball where guys weren’t getting suspended because of grades, or being a “bad teammate”, or getting hurt every other game. I was ready for a fresh start.
Unfortunately, the off season was nothing but more stress. The whole Izzo to the Cavs ordeal, Chris Allen being dismissed from the team, Korie Lucious receiving a DUI (2-4 game suspension), and the almost sexual assault charges against to MSU players this past September- it’s been tiring. To top it all off, our team is still not 100% healthy. Lucas, Roe, Green, Thornton, Lucious, Byrd, Sherman, Gauna, and Payne all have been down and out for some period of time over the summer and early fall.
“[Kalin] and Durrell spend more time in this building than I do. I said I needed them to be focused and do the things they need to do. And so far this year they’ve demonstrated that.”
~Tom Izzo
It will definitely be interesting to see how this team meshes. With some outgoing troublesome players, some new faces, and some motivated guys, I'm hoping that this team puts together a season we will be proud of from start to finish.
So what's our roster looking like? From seniors to freshmen, here's a look:
MSU 2010-2011 Roster
Kalin Lucas-G (senior)
Durrell Summers-G (senior)
Mike Kebler-G (senior)
Anthony Ianni-C (senior)
Delvon Roe-F (junior)
Draymond Green-F (junior)
Korie Lucious-G (junior)
Austin Thornton-G (junior)
Derrick Nix-C (sophomore)
Garrick Sherman-C (sophomore)
Russell Byrd-G (freshman)
Keith Appling-G (freshman)
Adriean Payne-F (freshman)
Alex Gauna-C (freshman)
Throughout the summer it's been pretty well known that Izzo would like to start Draymond Green at the 3-spot. So Green has spent the majority of his off season losing weight (looks like a success) to become quicker, as well as hone his outside shot (looked pretty good in the first exhibition game). Here's how I think Izzo would like his starting line-up to look:
PG- Kalin Lucas
SG- Durrell Summers
SF- Draymond Green
PF- Delvon Roe
C- Derrick Nix/Garrick Sherman
This line-up is the most logical. You've got your most experienced players starting, which makes sense. I think, depending on the match-ups, you could see MSU go small, moving Green and Roe to the forward spots, Durrell to the small forward, and either Lucious, Appling, or Thornton playing the two. That's the nice thing about depth; you can play around with your starting squad.
Schedule
You think Izzo scheduled tough before? Take a look at this non-conference slate:
South Carolina
Maui Invitational (potentially UConn and Kentucky/Oklahoma/Washington)
@Duke
@Syracuse
Texas
I have a feeling we'll find out real quick if this squad is for real. I'm not going to be upset if we lose at Duke or Syracuse (tough going on the road there), but if we are competitive, I'll be happy. I do, however, expect us to win the Maui Tournament and all of our home match-ups.
Moving on to the Big Ten. Here's a look at our conference schedule:
Minnesota
@Northwestern
@Penn State
Wisconsin
Northwestern
@Illinois
@Purdue
Michigan
Indiana
@Iowa
@Wisconsin
Penn State
@Ohio State
Illinois
@Minnesota
Purdue
Iowa
@Michigan
I think this schedule sets up nicely for us to start off at least 5-0. I think after our tough non-conference schedule this "easy" start to the conference season might be just what we need. There are two obvious tough stretches: the back-to-back road games against Illinois and Purdue, and the end stretch, where we play @Wisconsin, @Ohio State, @Minnesota, Illinois, and Purdue, with PSU thrown in the middle. We only play Ohio State once (what the fuck?!), as well as Indiana a single time (I want to see Izzo vs. Crean!) this year.
The Freshmen
You may already know how excited I am about these guys. We bring in a four man group: Keith Appling (PG/SG), Russell Byrd (SG/SF), Adrian Payne (PF/C), and Alex Gauna (PF/C). Gentlemen, this is a top-5 national recruiting class. We have a five-star recruit (Payne- who spurned Kentucky for us), a McDonald’s All-American guard (Appling), a four-star 6’8” SG and 61st overall player in the country (Byrd), and a home-grown talent that looks like the rebirth of Goran Suton (Gauna). Let me go one-by-one.
Starting with Payne, there’s already a lot of speculation that he’s a one-and-done type player. You know the saying: you can’t teach height. The guy is a rebounding and block machine. Throw in the fact that he apparently has quite an outside stroke and can hit the jumper away from the basket, and he may become quite the threat. Now Payne is a pretty skinny dude, and couple that with a nagging shoulder injury and he’s probably not going to have the immediate impact like some will hope. I can see him slowly being worked into the lineup and getting acclimated to Izzo’s system, finding his groove in the 2nd half of the season.
Moving on to Keith Appling. The guy is out of Detroit and he is a playmaker. The guy has no fear driving to the rim. Joe Rexrode, MSU beat reporter, said he saw some practices with Lucas and Appling both out on the floor at the same time. Scary having that kind of speed together. His outside shot does need a bit of improvement, so I’m picturing him having the same kind of impact Lucas did his first couple of years. Unfortunately with Allen being dismissed, and Byrd hurt, as well as having Lucas not 100% and Lucious suspended to start the year, Appling may have to shoulder more of a load than Izzo would have originally liked. It will be interesting to see how the young guy handles it. But he will not lack confidence: he’s already declared himself the fastest guy on the team, something that has made Lucas and Summers laugh.
Russell Byrd may find himself redshirting this year. He is an absolute marksman from downtown, and from all accounts is a team-first kind of guy. He does have, however, a nagging foot injury that he recently had to go in and get surgery on. At the very earliest he’ll be cleared for practice in January, which means once he gets in game shape he may only have a month or so to play and fit into the team. Is it worth it to have him lose that year of eligibility? That’s Izzo’s call, and I think he’ll go with a play-it-by-ear approach and address the needs of the team accordingly. Who knows if Byrd will be needed with all the injuries this team seems to get…
And then there’s Gauna. Apparently he’s a beast down low, stronger than Sherman and Payne, and just as tough as Nix and Roe. He’s raw, but he already can drill it from downtown and has some solid passing skills. He seems like a perfect example of an MSU type of basketball player. He’s another redshirt candidate, however, as he might just be the victim of a numbers game with too many low post guys already in the rotation. Waiting a year to get more playing time might be the best route to go.
Prediction
National Championship. Third year in a row, so I'm sure you're rolling your eyes again. But seriously, we haven't been too far off the past two years. I do like this team a lot more than last year's squad. I think the freshmen class is stronger, and with Nix and Sherman a bit more seasoned, I feel as if we have solid inside-outside play. We've got battle-tested juniors and seniors, so you have to like our chances come March.
Of course that prediction is only as good as our health and chemistry. For some reason this team cannot stay healthy. Who is going to be the first to fall this year? Can we stay relatively healthy throughout the season? Can the team come together and blend their talents instead of sleeping with each other's girlfriends (cough cough Chris Allen cough cough)? Can we develop that strong chemistry? If the off season is any indication, you'd have to say no to both questions. But perhaps the bone-head off the court incidents and health issues are out of their systems, and it's 110% commitment to MSU basketball.
Looking at the college landscape, Duke is the obvious team to beat. It will be interesting to see how their talented newcomers fit in (Irving and Curry), as well as how they cope with the loss of Scheyer. After us there is a laundry list of teams that have to play to prove their ranking: Kansas State, Ohio State, Pittsburgh, Villanova, Kansas, Purdue, and North Carolina. For the second year in a row, it's wide open. Who wants it?
2010-2011 Michigan State Spartans
Record: (26-7) (#3 seed in the NCAA Tournament)
---Losses: @Duke, @Syracuse, @Illinois, @Wisconsin, @Ohio State, @Minnesota, Loss in Big Ten Tournament
Big Ten Record: 14-4 (Co-Big Ten Champs with Illinois)
Big Ten Tournament: Semifinal Loss
National Champions
And to get you in the mood for basketball:
~Mikey D
Michigan State had their first scrimmage of the year against Saginaw Valley State last night, and the Big Ten Network had a replay of it today that I watched. As you know, I live and breathe MSU basketball, so I was giddy like a schoolgirl as I watched the Spartans take the court for the first time this season.
Here are my thoughts:
1) Lucas is back...already. All summer everyone was saying that Lucas would probably need some time to get back into the groove of things. I'm telling you, he looked like he hadn't lost a step. He was aggressive to the rim, and his shot was silky smooth (5-8, 2 of 4 from 3's). It was classic Lucas. We'll see how he reacts against stiffer competition, but he was impressive tonight. Welcome back, Kailin.
2) Nix was AWFUL. He worked his ass off all summer to drop some of his weight, and he does look much slimmer (he even dropped his number, from 50 to 25). But man...he was pushed around by an inferior team last night. He took many off-balance shots and didn't get anything to fall until late into the second half. On the plus side, he did shoot 3 of 5 from the free throw line. Disappointing start to the season, though.
3) Holy shit, Payne is a freak of nature. Okay, he definitely needs to add some muscle, but wait until you see this guy rebound. His arms are like Inspector Gadget arms. There were times he didn't even jump to get a rebound- it was amazing. He played 17 minutes last night and finished with 6 boards and 3 blocks. The dude is legit. On one sequence of plays Payne blocked an SVSU's player's shot from behind, ran back down court and hit an open three pointer, stole the ball at mid court on SVSU's next possession, and ran the fast break for a dunk. It was kind of awesome. It will take him a bit to learn Izzo's system, but when he does, watch out. He's the real deal.
4) Meet our replacement for Lucas...Mr. Keith Appling. He wears number 11, Lucas wears number 1. There will be many times this year you forget who is who out on the court. Appling went 5-9 from the field, but I think what I was most impressed with was the poise. He played 23 minutes and didn't commit a single turnover. That's really impressive for a freshman. Hell, Lucas is turnover prone at times. Appling is a natural scorer, but last night he was under control and played within the confines of the game. Like Payne, he's immediate impact.
5) Green...FOR THREE! Guess who worked on their outside shot all summer? Guess who's added the three point shot to his repertoire? Yep, Draymond Green. 2 of 3 from downtown last night, and all of his shots looked pretty (you know how some big guys look weird shooting it from deep...not Draymond). If he can hit that consistently for us, it would be huge. We really do have some gunners from downtown this year. Lucas, Summers, Lucious, Thornton, Appling, Green, Payne, Byrd, Gauna...there are some threats on this squad from deep.
6) Thornton deserves the game ball. It's about the little things. We need a scrapper out there, and Thornton was everywhere on the court. 3 of 5 from the field, 1 of 2 from threes, 7 (7!?!) rebounds, and two assists. When he was in, he made plays. I think between him and Kebler, it's Thornton that deserves the minutes. He looked much better out there.
7) The new look. New court logo, the Izzone has been moved, and the uniforms are no longer sporting the "State" script. I like having the Izzone in front of the camera now (although they were completely dead for last night's game, but it wasn't much of a game), but with the darker green in the MSU logo and jerseys, the Breslin has a much darker feel to it. Maybe I'm making that up in my head, so it'll be interesting to hear what you guys have to say about it when you watch a game.
8) Lucious, Sherman, and Byrd. Lucious began the first game of his 2-game suspension (yep, that's it). Sherman suffered a concussion in practice earlier in the week, but he should be back soon enough. Byrd is still out with foot surgery, and will be for the next couple of months. It's crazy to think, but this team has more guys to add to the army that will be big contributors. I can't wait to see the full squad in action.
Nebraska-Omaha next Monday! Yay for MSU basketball!
~Mikey D
As a kid I used to love Reggie Miller. As a Piston fan I loved Ben, Chauncey, Tayshaun, and Rip. But now...I don't really have any favorite NBA players. I don't love one individual player like Miller, and I don't have a team that's any good with any real talent left.
But if I were to choose, these are the three guys I seriously enjoy watching: Brandon Jennings, Kevin Durant, and John Wall.
I actually made it a point to sit down and watch the Wizards home opener tonight against the Sixers just to see John Wall in his home debut. I hated him at Kentucky, but now that he's out of the college game, he's just fun to watch.
Here's his FIRST intro to the home fans.
I think I would actually pay for tickets to a Wizards game to see this guy.
~Mikey D
