Knee Jerk or Just Jerk?

So I was mad, frustrated, and perhaps a little unfair in my last analysis. I stand by about 95% of it. Thing is, when a team shoots 80% from the field (82% from 3) things look artificially good. That's what MSU did against Indiana. I still think the offense is stagnant.

However, Kalin Lucas got in the lane. A lot. That, to me, was the key to this game. Hitting every shot you shoot--including 9 3's in the first half--doesn't hurt. I still don't like Raymar shooting the mid range shot. I still don't like running around the perimeter with the ball 90% of the time. I still don't like missing free throws.

On Sunday MSU went inside with more purpose than I can remember in quite some time. If I didn't know better I would think Izzo reads this (and hates me) because the team went inside, got guard penetration, ran the options off plays more than the primary sets, and in his post game press conference talked about "not asking players to do things they can't do" but instead "asking them to do things they've already done in the past." Sounds like not forcing things. Sounds like not trying to do too much. Sounds like playing within yourself. But then I realized that anyone who knows anything about basketball could watch these games and pick it all up. It's painfully obvious.

Morgan started the game with two 3 point shots. I don't mind that as much as the mid range shot. If he's closer to the basket than 18 feet he needs to just keep on going. Get to the rim. Get fouled. Give yourself a chance to get a rebound. Morgan was aggressive around the basket again, and despite missing some free throws, got people in foul trouble.

Suton did what Suton needs to do. He rebounded. He didn't lose his man (much) and didn't throw the ball away. He had a double double and hit a 3 late in the game. I cringed. It went in.

Neitzel took a lot of shots. He played strong defense. He picked up a couple of rebounds. He kept the defense honest. At one point Lucas had the ball and drove near the corner/baseline. Neitzel was in the corner with a man on him. Lucas' defender was beat, but help couldn't come over since Neitzel was shooting. Lucas got a layup 1. because of his speed, and 2. because Neitzel kept the defense from rotating. That's respect. When a man WITH the ball and open is heading toward the basket, and you won't leave your man to pick him up, that's respect. Or stupidity.

MSU was also helped out by a ghostly force. Indiana missed about 4 layups/dunks for no apparent reason. D.J. White is a headcase. Gordon should get an offensive foul called about 50% of the time he drives. Indiana is not that good, and with Sampson gone (sanction likely to follow?), Gordon likely gone (I would say about 90% headed to the NBA) and D.J. White gone Indiana is going to be BAD for a few years. Bad.

The key to this game was defense and running. Walton and Lucas really hounded Gordon when he was handling the ball. Walton was great. Lucas is so quick and smart. Lucas was unstoppable on offense. I would guess that if you put together a top ten highlight reel Lucas would be involved in about 8 of them. His passing was Skiles like. He drove past his man at will. He ran the break. He defended. He is going to be very, very special.

Now MSU plays Ohio State and Illinois on the road, followed by the BigTen Tournament. I don't like the Illinois game. They have nothing to play for but their Seniors. No pressure, no title hopes, not NCAA tournament seeding to worry about. Trap game. Ohio State is on the bubble but I just don't think they have enough experience yet. I think we will lose in the BigTen Tournament in the second round. I just don't see us winning it.

I do like the number of minutes we are getting for Summers (who had a tough game, turnovers and defense were poop) and Allen (he has Ager's disease: run, leap, realize you have no idea why you are in the air and what you are going to do with the ball) but would like to see one more big man--be in Herzog (LOST on the floor) or Ibok (I like him, must be the offense that is keeping him off the floor) getting some minutes. Teams with a solid interior could hurt us once Naymick picks up a couple of fouls. Suton can guard guys bigger and slower than him, which could help Naymick out, buy Suton CANNOT guard versatile 3/4/5 post players. Suton's Rule: if the guy can shoot from more than 12 feet and has ever dribbled the ball in the past, Suton cannot guard him.

Hate this team.

Top to bottom I hate it.

I hate losing, yes. But it's not about losing. It's about how they lose. It's about being stupid, embarrassing, and frustrating beyond all human comprehension.

I'm going to say it and be done. Tom Izzo is a not a great coach. He is a good person. He is a good role model. I am proud of our progam and players for their character. He is not a great coach. When he has had good players + good assistants we have done well.

This team is more talented, top to bottom, than everyone else in the BigTen (except perhaps Indiana). I would argue MSU is actually better on average than Indiana. On paper.

Our offense is a joke. We are running predictable sets. We make passes because that is what the play calls for (between guards like catch; Neitzel with the ball, back to walton, hot potato to Neitzel), we run around a little, pass it between guards 30 feet from the basket, then maybe get off a shot. Maybe. We have a predictable and terrible offense. If we have all these sets, as people claim, why the hell do we run the same 4 plays all game? Why do they all involve passing it around the perimeter then chucking up a bad shot? WHY IN THE HELL DO THEY INVOLVE SHOTS WITH NO ONE UNDER THE BASKET TO REBOUND?! Why is Raymar shooting a 15 footer 5 times per game, from the worst angle on the court, with no one on the block to rebound, when he can't even make a free throw? He's not a distance shooter.

When can this team, or any MSU team with more talent than the opponent (see: Davis + Brown + Ager), actually play to potential? Why can't we score after timeouts? Why can't we inbound the ball half the time? Why don't we make in game adjustments? Why do we INSIST players like Suton hedge on perimeter screens--leaving Suton guarding no one--not the screener, not the ball, no one.

It makes me sick. It's elementary. Raymar can't defend or shoot from distance, and can't seem to dribble before taking his first two steps. But we keep putting him in positions to do those very things.

I'm as frustrated as I have ever been with any team ever, even MSU football. MSU football has had personnel concerns. We can't recruit a full roster of top 25 football talent. The basketball team doesn't have the same problem. Players come here with all the ability necessary to succeed. I don't want to hear this team is hurt by scheduling anymore. This season was different. No Duke. No Kansas. No "toughest BigTen lineup." We just sucked.

The BigTen tournament is going to be a joke. The NCAA tournament is going to be worse.

Rexrode

Apparently Joe reads my stuff. Maybe the LSJ would like to just pay me. Either way it all sounds very, very familiar.

http://lsj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080228/GW0201/802280349/1023

MSU Basketball (Broken limbs era)

During the past month or so MSU has played consistently crappy basketball. Ignore wins over Penn State and Iowa, terrible horrible teams that should never win a BigTen game, and look more closely at LOSSES to those teams in 2008 and losses (big margin) to Indiana and Purdue.

The players said all the right things leading up to Purdue and Indiana (and post Iowa/Penn State).
- now we test ourselves against the top of the league
- we control our own destiny (for the B10 title)
- we have all the motivation we need
- blah blah we are focused

Then they lost. Then they beat 2 bad teams. At times the Spartans dominated PSU and Iowa. But they never put either team away. After being up 21-5 on Iowa they allowed the undermanned--and frankly crappy--Hawkeyes to make it a 12 point game at the half. Penn State was a blowout...but it should have been the first time. PSU is the worst team in the league. They are without their only truly legit player Claxton for the rest of the season.

MSU is bewildering. Gray has played a few good games. Neitzel is good, but not great. He doesn't get to the lane enough, and as a result, doesn't get to the free throw line enough, to be a late game threat. He has become a 3 point jump shooter almost exclusively. Against Iowa he hit a runner that looked like the triple threat Drew of old. Then it was 12 straight deep jumpers. He scored 20 on almost that many shots. That isn't good enough. The guards ALL need to get in the lane more. Get to the line more. Our offense is run from 25+ feet and that just won't work come tournament time. You can't count on shooting 60% from the field and hitting 6 three pointers per game.

Naymick has played very well within himself. He knows what he can and can't do. He can rebound. He can defend. He can dunk. He can hit a little hook. He can skin up his knees and sacrifice his body. Other players would do well to know what they can, and can't, do.

Suton is a non factor. He's not even noticeable. He misses rebounds. He has weak hands when a rebound comes to him. He doesn't post hard or look for the ball. I can't completely blame him. The guards run around the perimeter dribbling/passing to each other for 25 seconds and then shoot a 3. We have to go inside more. We have to stop making useless passes on the perimeter. I would say that about 50% of our turnovers start OUTSIDE the 3 point line. The other 50%...

Are Raymar Morgan traveling. He is a perplexing headcase. He can DOMINATE at times. The next minute he's a joke. Here are my Morgan insights:
- he takes bad shots. 10 footers from the wing with no big man down low to rebound. that' fine when you make it every time (actually its still not ok, but...) he doesn't make it anywhere near everytime.
- he can't shoot free throws. he makes about 60%. that is unacceptable for a small forward.
- he CANNOT defend. he can't move his feet and guards with his upper body/hands, ending up in early foul trouble and mentally takes himself out of the games early due to fouls.
- he moves his feet well on offense, typically about 3-4 steps at at time before dribbling. that, my friends, is a travel. he needs a passport these days.
- he has no true emotion. i don't think he's mentally in East Lansing. physically he shows up for games and acts like he cares. i don't see heart. i don't see winning and losing in his emotions. its more going through the motions. he's not having fun and it shows.
- when he plays down low and scraps he is at his best. you can't guard him on the block.

Finally, tomorrow night the team travels to Wisconsin to play the first place Badgers for the only meeting between the two teams this year. Wisconsin is tough at home. Big Ten refs are true homers this season, more than I can ever remember. MSU has won two games in a row. They will lose this one in an UGLY game. I think Wisconsin comes out early with a lead, MSU keeps it somewhat manegable at the half (within 8) and then 4-5 minutes into the second half go on a turnover tear and lose by 18. Sorry, that's what I see from this team. No offense. Which leads to turnovers. Which leads to heads down. Which leads to bad defensive footwork and rotation (Suton and Morgan in particular) and desperation (see: shooting only 3's and gambling with risky passes). Fouls + free throws + foul trouble and you have another road loss.

Purdue will, as I said earlier in the year, continue to surprise. They will win the BigTen. Indiana will lose to MSU on senior night in East Lansing. MSU will get a 4 seed in the tourney and win a game. Beyond that its up to the team. They are still a final four caliber team. They have to decide to play smart, under control, and instinctively. Too much thinking is not good for a team this talented. Dive on the floor. Do what you do well. Play don't think. Play like 7th year Super Senior and Doctorate of Finance Candidate Naymick.

MSU Sneaks past OSU, IU does just enough...again

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.

Iowa Basketball and other related rants

First, I have to start with a rant. Eddie Hightower is a moron. He and his crew called one of the more disgusting games I've seen in quite some time. At one point he called 4 straight travels. The replays revealed that there might have been 1, a stretch if there were 2. Later in the game there was a blatant walk by Morgan. No call. Just off the charts drunk-howler monkey-corkyretarded bad.

That said, both teams played like crap and honestly no one deserved a win. They both should have an asterisk next to this game. *1/2 win **2 losses

The BigTen Network gets on my bad side already by, in a move that could only be explained by dipping into the ESPN2 cameraman talent pool, SHOWING ME THE PERSON THAT JUST SCORED A BASKET FOR 15 SECONDS after the basket is scored. What does that mean? It means that a fastbreaking team, say...MSU for instance, is now all the way down the floor and there is either A.) a foul, B.) a basket, or as in the case of the Iowa game C.) a turnover. Meanwhile I'm watching the remarkable skill set of Joe Blow as he backpedals down the floor. That's what I tune in for. THAT is what I went to a bar for, since Comcrap Cable doesn't carry BTN. Thank you BigTen Network, for continuing the sucky coverage I used to get for free (see: $100+/month) on ESPN2.

Finally to the game. It was bad. In this one I have to give the credit to everyone, and I do mean everyone. Izzo sucked. Neitzel sucked. Walton sucked. Morgan sucked. Suton...well, he was Suton. Also not listed, but just as sucky: everyone.

No defense. None. Honestly, the only reason that it wasn't a 30 point loss was Iowa's overall crappy and talentless nature. I give 50% of the fault to the team and 50% to the refs. We shot 4 freethrows (I'll hit on that later) while Iowa shot, I believe, 29. It's hard to play defense when you don't know what is a foul and what is not.

Offense. Just wow. Worst game I've ever seen. Neitzel was BAD. Morgan traveled more than he wowed. The team shot around 28% for the game, but what made the difference (because yes, despite that % they could have won the game) was the amount of turnovers and the times at which they occurred. It seemed like about 50% of the possession we didn't even get a shot off. Now factor in the 28% and you have 14%. We scored, by my very rough math, on 14% of our possessions. That's an overstatement, but not by much. We really had no offense at all. No offensive rebounds and no inside out game. More on that to come.

Izzo didn't snap them out of it. He didn't seem to makes us of timeouts. He didn't find an effective lineup. It was a mess. He can't play the game and I don't second guess his prep work, but in game he's been so-so. We NEVER score out of timeout anymore. Hell, we're lucky to inbound the ball to our own players. If we inbound the ball, to our own player, in the front court...WEW! That's like a little victory.

The refs truly ruined our rhythm and offense. Iowa played "good defense" according to critics. I saw handchecking and holding 30 feet from the basket. That has always killed MSU teams (except with Mateen who had strength, poise, and handles). Ref's forced MSU to run an offense from 30 feet with their backs to the basket. Shots didn't fall. Travels, moving screens, and bad passes made for empty (shotless) possessions. It was disgusting and troubling. There wasn't one good thing to take from the game. It is something you never would have seen from any other team I can remember. Even in big losses we've had single players have good games. No one played well. No one played decent.

People who sucked: the coaches, the captains, the players, the refs. Other than that...well probably Gus too...but other than...oh right, Iowa's team as well...I think that's it...oh the BigTen Network. They were horrible too. So was Trippers. Smoking needs to be outlawed in public. Or there should be true smoking sections (see: chambers).

Here's to whipping on Ohio State to get the taste out. Something tells me the slide continues in a tight one. OSU is good as a team and has one of the most polished freshmen big men the BigTen has seen in a while. Oden (last year for OSU) was just dominant on the interior. This guy Kushtafalksjlakjt (good faith effort on the spelling cause I don't really care) can step out and hit a longer shot, makes moves in the lane, and finish at the line. He's going to be good. Suton should have a tough night.

New Year New Post

I had the distinct honor of watching both a great individual effort by a pair of Spartans, and a terrible, horrible team effort in MSU's last game against Minnesota. I leave the game knowing a few things:

1. Raymar Morgan, especially against smaller lineups (and with Neitzel in the game) is unstoppable

2. Kalin Lucas is probably setting the bar too high (average fan will hate him later in the season when he only scores 10 and we lose a game) but is playing very, very well

3. When Neitzel comes around we are going to be very dangerous

4. Tubby is going to put the Gophers back on the map, and soon

Raymar still reminds me of Magic. He's tall yet agile, can run, has great hands, and he just finishes. Shots that have no business going in, quick releases, and a smile bigger than his head just have me thinking Magic. The other night Raymar cleaned up around the basket, scoring 31 points--mostly within 6 feet of the basket. If he could shoot free throws he would have had 35 easily. He also has to stay out of foul trouble. He picks up some seriously stupid fouls from time to time in the open court. Raymar will continue to do well so long as teams dedicate man coverage from the locker room to the floor on Neitzel. Offensive rebounding and Morgan will benefit most from double teams and scheme defenses on D.Neitzel.

Lucas is still playing very, very well. He's been less of a driving threat and more of a spot up shooter recently, which is nice to expand his game and help the bigs (and beats the shot clock, and softens the blow of Neitzel's 0-6 3 point shooting nights) but he still needs to take it to the basket. We need to draw those fouls. We need to get easy passes to the bigs off penetration to get them confidence. He's also setting himself up for fan outrage later in the season. He's bound to have a few down games...he is a freshman...and he's set the bar quite high. Lost in all this is how well Walton is playing. His defense and assist to turnover ratio isn't sexy to talk about, but he's quietly all big ten pg quality.

I thought it was his playing weight. The papers seem to think it's his wrist. Izzo is done making excuses and now says he's shooting bad and he has no idea why. The point is, we are looking pretty good w/out Neitzel doing squat. I mean, his shooting is just bad. Izzo pointed out that he's shooting a career high % from the field, but honestly, he misses everything. He had a nice runner in the lane last game...and that's about it. He missed all 6 of his 3 point shots. Some badly. Most pretty wide open. Once he comes out of this, once he finds a swagger (he's pump faking and passing up shots he would have taken without thinking last year) we are going to be very, very good. I hope he turns it around in time for Lucas to have a fall off, cause again, you can bet a freshman playing this well is going to slump at some point.

The Gophers should be pretty bad. I mean honestly, talent wise at least, this is the worst Minnesota team is 5 years. They really just don't have a lot of talent. Tubby has them playing hard, smart, and within their means. They play defense. They hit 3's. They go inside and exploit mismatches (see: Goran Suton vs anyone with a pump fake and quick first step). They created TERRRRIBLE defensive rotations for MSU (the WORST part about last game was watching about 4 plays where people either slipped to the basket unguarded or had open 3's unguarded. Completely unguarded). Tubby will make them a winner is less than 5 years. I expect a Gopher share of the BigTen once he has his own recruits. I also think Weber (Illinois) might be gone soon. They lost at home to Penn State this week and are just playing erratic basketball.

Bo Ryan is still a turd and still looks like Moe from the Simpsons.

Um, there's a phone call for Oliver...um...is Oliver Clothesoff here? No? What about Amanda Hugenkiss? Can I get a Amanda Hugenkiss?