In a true display of Jekyll and Hyde, MSU came out against Ohio State at home last week to play some of it's best basketball all season (first 10 minutes), pedestrian (end), and some of it's worst (middle).
The energy, the crispness, and the execution were top knotch out of the gate. Neitzel hit two quick shots. Defense was keyed in and in passing lanes. No second chance shots were allowed (and the refs let the teams play!). There was a flow and MSU was up big.
Then OSU hit a 3. Then another. Then a foul and the basket. Then an MSU turnover. Then OSU pressed full court with 3 MSU freshmen on the floor. Suddenly the 20 point lead was only 3. I put the fault on: 1. a predictable and lazy offensive effort, 2. HORRIBLE defensive rotation, and 3. some hot OSU shooting.
1. Morgan was not even awake. He was in foul trouble, I'll concede that, but he was also a non factor when he was in the game. The offense was too willing to stand around the perimeter and pass, dribble, and fire up a late or poor long distance shot. The post was not an option. Is that the fault of post players, guards, or gameplan? I don't know. But it doesn't work. You have to get penetration, you have to get effective post play (not just on rebounds) and you have to get offense other than on the fast break.
Neitzel was hot early and very cold late. The shot fake is losing credibility. Soon people won't even leave their feet. He might be hurt. I hope (the last 10 games) he was hurt badly, because his shot (and willingnes/confidence in his own shot) are not inspiring.
Suton. Wow. He was just bad with the ball in his hands. He rebounded and he actually played pretty ok on defense. He just panics with the ball under pressure.
Finally, as a team our offense likes to run the play...and that's it. Teams can predict where we will be. They step into passing lanes, they bait passes. Our players won't ad lib to keep teams honest. I've been there before as a player. I don't suggest a move toward a Memphis style free for all, but going backdoor or making defenders that cheat on screens pay would make this good team excellent. Remember when Mateen and Mo Pete would just give that look? A defender cheated on a screen 2 times in a row, then mo pete would either go back door for the lob or cut back on the screen for a 3...oh the old days, when basketball was an art and not robotics. Izzo likes you to run the play, but he also likes results. Some people look at a play on paper and see limitations. Others see a starting point with options to make gambling defenders pay.
2. The biggest reason for the OSU comeback was defense. OSU went to a zone trap in the full court. MSU couldnt' break it cleanly, and used a lot of time and energy even when they did break it. That is discouraging (but better to know now than March). MSU's defensive rotation could be likened to a group of decapitated chickens trying to defend the Globe Trotters. MSU was 3 seconds late (but not for lack of speed, it was mental) to each pass and OSU always found the right man. It was only a stretch of the game, 12 minutes or so in the middle, but it was ugly.
3. OSU followed their perfect passing with clutch (and sometimes disgusting) shots. I mean, who hits off balance 3's while defended? A couple I can deal with, but it seemed like the circus was in town.
Finally, I cannot tell you how disgusted I am to watch MSU fumble around like paranoid and jittery crack heads trying to do something rather routine...inbound the basketball. Can we not spend 3 minutes a week on this to work out the kinks? Suton should NEVER be throwing a pass into the backcourt from the free throw extended area. We should never be inbounding the ball TO SUTON where we know he is about to be double teamed 30 feet from the basket. We did both. Multiple times. We seriously have not run an inbound play this year, that I've seen in the games I've attended, where I wasn't on the edge of my seat. We take nearly the full 5 seconds running around doing nothing, then make a haphazard and dangerous pass to 1. someone that shouldn't have the ball in the open floor, and/or 2. a place on the floor that shouldn't be necessary. Our standard inbound in the front court (even under the basket!!) is to throw the ball to a guard in the backcourt. Well, even a flippin idiot schmuck like me can see where this is going. It happened against GVSU (and honestly, it was the difference in the game) and again against OSU. We gave up a basket (and a foul against GVSU) the other way.
This team has all the skill, coaching, and talent necessary to be great. Unfortunately we get in our own way when we can't execute common skills. Basics we need to work on:
- dribbling in the open floor (press break and travels as evidence)
- talking/rotating on defense (most of the talk goes on after the play, when Gray yells at someone because Gray didn't know where he was supposed to be)
- Free Throws (or at least when it matters, excluding Walton)
- Using what's not written in a play to our advantage (anticipate the defenders anticipation)
- Inbounding (something, anything)
Briefly, Indiana continues to win games they should lose. They aren't great but have 2 great players. Both Illinois and Minnesota should have beaten IU. It's a matter of time I think. Wisconsin meanwhile just keeps winning--and MSU only plays Wisconsin in Madison this year. That game could decide whether the BigTen title will be outright, shared, or non-existant for MSU.
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