Basketball Season Begins

Or did it? MSU followed up its impressive 61-57 win last year over Grand Valley with a loss this year. The Spartans fell, at home, in OT by 3 points.

Breakdown:
1. we have no interior play.
The offense doesn't try to play inside out basketball. Again we decided to run the "pass it around the perimeter for 20 seconds then either drive (and get a charging call) or fire up a 3." This didn't work well since Neitzel was double teamed all night and didn't get many looks, and the rest of the team was stone cold. Didn't help that we also got out rebounded. Suton was a joke. He was not a threat on offense and on defense...just wow. At what point do we decide there's no hope for his defense? (answer: 2 years ago)
Gray was nonexistant. This is the type of team he should dominate. He did nothing. The freshmen were better and more aggressive than Gray.
Herzog will be ok. He had flashes. He was also out of position at times. He'll be ok I think.

2. we don't have any (not one) inbounds plays.
With a 2 point lead, 14 seconds remaining, and the ball in our FRONTCOURT we attempted to inbound from the sideline. The play? No one do anything then chuck the ball into the backcourt to who? Suton. The Suton that has the footwork of a drunk giraffe? Yes, that Suton. Result? GVSU steal, layup, and foul. 1 point defecit with 8 seconds in regulation.
Overtime 1. Ball out of bounds (frontcourt) with a tie game. Inbounds play? Everyone slide side to side like you are going somewhere. You are decoys. One person is actually supposed to try to get the ball--but he doesn't--so you call another timeout. Then you run a play called "Neitzel run over there and get the ball" which works (at getting the ball in, we did not score).

3. Grand Valley is a bad matchup.
I said before the game, Grand Valley is good and the EXACT team we don't want to play. Senior heavy, 4/5 of starters returning, and athletic. GVSU has 8 guys that are exactly the same person. 6'7" 220 lbs. Defenders, side to side agility guys, with just enough range to exploit the fact that we have NEVER (ever, ever) played perimeter defense. They hit about seven 3's. They also harrassed our guards (and forwards that think they are guards...dribbling and passing through the lane) effectively. Our free throw shooting was horrible. That alone would have won the game. Finally, they had one big man (must have been about 6'10") that exploited the middle. Backed Suton down or just went around him consistently.

4. There were some suspect calls.
At one point Kalin Lucas was triple teamed as he ran down the floor with the ball. He was mugged about 5 times before hitting the lane, then hit as he took off, and hit as he shot. None of the three defenders was stationary, Lucas did not drop his shoulder or use his off arm, but he was called for a charge. One of the worst calls I've seen in a while. Over and over Neitzel was banged around with no calls--them with 6 seconds left in regulation a phantom call putting him on the line to tie the game. It was a rough night all around.

5. The team is athletic and deep. They are capable and determined. Its all about sharpening up. The offense was atrocious. The defense was so-so, mostly getting burned on 3's (which we seem to be ok with) and then being picked apart by good coaching (picking on Suton and making Gray learn to rotate). Rebounding won't be this bad again. I compare this GVSU team, in size, to the George Mason team that beat MSU a few years ago. Not as good, but the whole team is 6'8" and can jump. A bad matchup. But hey, it's not Appalachian State.