Basketball early games thread

[SpartyNash]

Also, is it me or has izzo really kept it pretty casual lately going without the tie?

 

[johnny2x2x]

The team is coming along. Maryland came out strong and were very physical. When we're hitting our 3s it's unfair. Still not playing a complete game.

32 made FGs. 30 assists. 7 turnovers. That makes a 30 point win vs a middle of the pack B1G team.

 

[Spartan23MSU]

Also, is it me or has izzo really kept it pretty casual lately going without the tie?

I like it, he seems a little looser...kind of. Whatever is going on now is working. This team is explosive. Our bench could be a little better but these guys are plastering everyone. OSU is solid this year but I think they will struggle to stay within 10-15.

 

[johnny2x2x]

I like it, he seems a little looser...kind of. Whatever is going on now is working. This team is explosive. Our bench could be a little better but these guys are plastering everyone. OSU is solid this year but I think they will struggle to stay within 10-15.

The team is diving on the floor for loose balls up 25 with 6 minutes left in the game. They have the desire to be great.

I want to see them face some adversity really, team has to learn it's not going to be easy to win a title. Really wish the Big Ten was good this season, I'd much rather finish 14-4 in a strong conference than 16-2 in a garbage one.

 

[Sbee]

The team is diving on the floor for loose balls up 25 with 6 minutes left in the game. They have the desire to be great.

I want to see them face some adversity really, team has to learn it's not going to be easy to win a title. Really wish the Big Ten was good this season, I'd much rather finish 14-4 in a strong conference than 16-2 in a garbage one.

They're playing like it's the final four when they're up big, late in games. This team is really special. The one thing they are missing is a perimeter defensive stopper, someone that can move out there like Appling or Gary Harris, I don't know if we'll find one this year. Langford was not great on screens and that resulted in Heurter going off early, McQuaid did a good job later on him. MM isn't going to be a stopper, but he's decent defensively, Langford needs to step that up a little bit.

 

[Sbee]

MSU is currently leading the NCAA in field goal percentage defense, field goal percentage offense, and rebound margin. Those are insane #s, if you control turnovers (7 last night), you'll just blow people out.

 

[johnny2x2x]

They're playing like it's the final four when they're up big, late in games. This team is really special. The one thing they are missing is a perimeter defensive stopper, someone that can move out there like Appling or Gary Harris, I don't know if we'll find one this year. Langford was not great on screens and that resulted in Heurter going off early, McQuaid did a good job later on him. MM isn't going to be a stopper, but he's decent defensively, Langford needs to step that up a little bit.

Been saying that since the off season, that perimeter defense is the only potential weakness. McQuaid is a lot better defender than people know, he's by far the best perimeter defender we have, but he's not going to stop the more athletic players. We heard Langford was going to be a good defender, but his lateral movement sucks. Tum is Ok is spurts. WInston has improved a lot, but is average at best as a defender.

We could get knocked out by a hot shooting team that plays 4 guards.

In watching JJJ switch on a guard last night at times I was thinking maybe he should guard Grayson Allen some if we play Duke again. JJJ's ability to guard smaller guys on the floor allows us to play big.

 

[Spartanmack]

I agree, it would be nice to see the team get tested a bit - other than perimeter defense I'm also curious to see how they do on perimeter offense when looks don't come as easy. We've been shooting the lights out but will they be able to do that against more athletic teams? It's nice to have McQuaid, Langford, Winston and bridges all shooting well and picking up for each other but will they be as effective against good teams? Bridges still needs to put the ball on the floor - against all the good defensive teams we've played (dook, UNC and Rutgers) he's getting everything from the 3 point line. I think he'd be pretty hard pressed to shoot .500 from 3 against dook again and he didn't get to the line ONCE in that game.

 

[boogerlovejoy]

Had to quit watching after the refs went foul crazy the last few minutes of the first half. Called 6 fouls on MSU in the last couple minutes.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/articl...ssf/2018/01/lions_darius_slay_jamal_agnew.amp

Darius Slay.....1st Team All Pro.

Thought youd like to see this......weird how they are naming "decent" corners 1st team all pro.
You're an idiot.

 

[biggunsbob]

This team is Izzo's 2nd ncaa title team. Just my opinion but only thing that could screw them is the anti-ncaa big ten refs in the tournament. Maybe Puke. But my wife is super excited . Basketball is her favorite sport and when she knows they are number 1 she is paying attention. Team is pretty damn deep, and impressive. Big ten has had a few chances since Msu's last title and fallen short. Maybe this is the year.

 

[Spartan23MSU]

This team is Izzo's 2nd ncaa title team. Just my opinion but only thing that could screw them is the anti-ncaa big ten refs in the tournament. Maybe Puke. But my wife is super excited . Basketball is her favorite sport and when she knows they are number 1 she is paying attention. Team is pretty damn deep, and impressive. Big ten has had a few chances since Msu's last title and fallen short. Maybe this is the year.

A lot has to go right but there is a chance. Weve been healthy thus far but there is always a potential catastrophic injury waiting around the corner (history shows).

Vegas odds have the NC even with Duke right now. Really fun to watch and if the turnovers go away its the best team in college hoops.

 

[johnny2x2x]

MSU is currently leading the NCAA in field goal percentage defense, field goal percentage offense, and rebound margin. Those are insane #s, if you control turnovers (7 last night), you'll just blow people out.

Also lead the country in win margin +26.5 per game. And we're 8th in the nation in 3 point shooting at 42.4%. Lead the nation in blocked shots per game and assists per game, doubt that's ever been done for a full season before.

Team starts taking care of the ball better and guarding the 3 and they will be tough for anyone to beat.

 

[MSUMatt28]

The team is diving on the floor for loose balls up 25 with 6 minutes left in the game. They have the desire to be great.

I want to see them face some adversity really, team has to learn it's not going to be easy to win a title. Really wish the Big Ten was good this season, I'd much rather finish 14-4 in a strong conference than 16-2 in a garbage one.

I too wish the Big Ten was better this year. The team when it's all said and done should go into the NCAA's with a pretty gaudy record but very few quality wins. Lose more than 2 Big Ten games and they probably don't get a #1 seed. Even the Notre Dame win has a chance to lose a lot of luster with Colson out for 8 weeks.

Sometimes a tough conference grind can wear a team down as much as it can harden them up, but I still worry that they're going to be sufficiently tested often enough by the time the NCAAs come around. That's where you kind of have to focus how you're playing and what you're doing more than the results. A 10 point win most years you take that result and move on. A 10 point win in this year's Big Ten (like earlier vs Rutgers), and you can point to a whole lot of things that need working on.

With that said, the road game coming up OSU looks like it could be semi-challenging. It will be interesting to see how they do in that one. A team that appears to not be terrible and will likely be pretty jacked up for the game, but one wouldn't really call them good either. A lot of the games are going to be like that.

 

[SpartyNash]

Duke about to go down at NC State. In 3 conference games (2 of which against unranked teams) they have allowed over 90 PPG on average. I think they are so overrated, they have been down big in numerous games and were able to escape a few times.

 

[LuciousGameWinner]

I tend not to bet on MSU but I went with the over on MSU scoring 76 points. Seems like a no brainer...but those always go wrong

 

[LuciousGameWinner]

Tum is so bad. 3 minutes with him in he game 0 points.

 

[SpartyNash]

Good wake up call for this team

Also fuck Dakich

 

[LuciousGameWinner]

Had to be Dakich. That little piece of shit

 

[SpartyNash]

I swear mcquaid misses more open shots than anyone since russell Byrd

 

[Spartan23MSU]

I swear mcquaid misses more open shots than anyone since russell Byrd

Especially in big games against good teams. Well, here it is, getting their best effort, everything going in. That last 2 minutes really put ub in the hole...