+3/-3/Coaches Corner/Crystal Ball MSU vs. UConn

+3

1. The biggest positive from these two games is by far half-court defense. It was what Izzo was most worried about (per his presser/coach’s show) as they headed out west. While I thought the DePaul 26% and 51 points had some to do with DePaul not being very good offensively, this team has made defensive strides even since Stonybrook. Held UConn to 31% in the first half. Came into the game ranked 16th in KenPom adjusted defense. Less mistakes and blown defensive assignments thru 2 games. Much better tonight against ball screens and dribble penetration. Making some strides on defense. Held UConn to 36% from the floor and 31% from 3.

2. You saw the 15-6 run to start the 2nd half with Cash/Langford/Bridges/Jackson/Ward-Schilling on the court. 11/15 points in transition. When that group is out there (which you didn’t really see in the first half due to injuries/D/fouls) and playing like that, you see why this could be a Final 4 team. When you watch the last 5 minutes of the first half and it’s Tum/McQuaid/Langford/Carter/Ward, you wonder how they’ll ever score. When the best of the best were out there together tonight, you saw how explosive this team can be on offense. Shot 49% from the floor, 45% from 3, and only had 8 turnovers, a HUGE key.

3. About 8 minutes left...Bridges on the bench. Jackson on the bench. Langford on the bench. Ward on the bench. Cassius Winston played about 5 of the best offensive minutes of basketball you will ever see. With the game in that uncomfortable 5-8 point range, he just took over. Goes for 28 points on 12/15 from the floor, 23 of those points in the 2nd half. Hit 3’s, dropped a dime to X on a screen and roll, lob to Bridges, hit floaters, made tough layups. See my “crystal ball” below for what I think it could mean, but on a night where JJ had 12, Ward 11, and Bridges 6, Cash’s offense won the game.

-3

1. First half fouls and in turn, first half offense. Midway through the first half we start to make a run. Then Bridges gets his 2nd foul, the Cash, then Jackson. We play the last 5 minutes with Tum, McQuaid, and Carter. SHOCKED we still had the lead. First half foul trouble continues to plague this team, keep games close, and make close to unwatchable offensive lineups for long stretches at a time. The end result, 28 points and 32% shooting in the first half. When there was no foul trouble in the second half, you saw how different the offense looked

2. Offensive droughts for this team also come when they don’t get post touches or paint touches off the bounce. Had a couple more tonight where Bridges/Jackson/McQuaid/Langford are hoisting jumpers, especially in early offense. Have to run the offense through the post, through set pieces and off the bounce.

3. Said this before the year and still saying it now, Miles Bridges at the “3” is going to be a major process. And that process is not going well so far. Yes, it’s just a handful of games. Yes, he has been injured. But he has been relegated to basically a perimeter jump shooter who has had some trouble creating his own off the bounce. I know WHY the move was made. I’m NOT saying it’s the wrong move. I UNDERSTAND what it could mean long-term. I’m saying that to this point, it’s not going well, which is really not debatable.

Coaches Corner

* UConn used a defensive philosophy that I think would be one that teams that play MSU would be wise to employ. This thinking that this team will struggle vs. zone is foolish. They “struggled” to 81 points against the Duke zone and phony experts everywhere told you that zone offense was a reason they lost that game. Laughable. Go ahead and zone this team and see how they dissect you as the season goes along. Instead, UConn got right up into MSU. Picked up full-court and got under our guards. Denied hard on the wings which made it hard to get into sets. Ran at guys like Langford and McQuaid at the 3 point line and dared them to put the ball on the deck. Doubled hard in the post. That is the defensive recipe that will give this MSU team fits...one that is very aggressive. Not sure which B1G teams are most suited to do that, probably Minny and Purdue. MSU still is limited in players who can create their own off the bounce and the system doesn’t necessarily encourage that. UConn had the right athletes and system to defend MSU.

* Big move by Izzo in the 2nd half (9:00ish minute mark)when Bridges and Jackson went to the bench with 3 fouls. Izzo goes to Tum Tum and Winston together. Carter finds Winston against the zone from the high post on a ball reversal for a “3.” Then, Izzo runs the same set they ran late in the 2nd half for McQuaid last night when he got hot (missed it). 1-4 high, McQuaid runs over the top of the stagger to catch. Bigs pivot and double screen for Winston on the other side who catches and drives to score. The rest of what Winston did was history, but it started with the coaching move by Izzo to

Crystal Ball

* 8 in a row by Cash in the 2nd half, then assist to X, then got 2 more off a baseline jumper, then 2 on a circus layup. HE TOOK OVER. I made a preseason prediction that I got quite a bit of heat for and that was Winston would be an All B1G point guard THIS season. Yes, it was out on a limb. That 23 point second half is exactly why I made that prediction. I am holding to it.

* The MSU/UNC game should be a great one. The #1 key without question will be if MSU can play half-court defense at the level they have the last 2 nights. Gave up 51 to DePaul and 57 to UConn, but this is a different beast. MSU will have to defend much better than they did against Duke.

Extras

* Ward pulled after 1st defensive possession. Didn’t show hard enough on ball screen. Came back in 2 minutes later and made the same mistake!

* When Nick Ward sits and there are no early post touches, this team has struggled offensively in the first 10 minutes of game

* MSU starts 1 for 8 from the floor then finished the first half 1 for its last 9. 2/17 combined on the ends. Gross.

* Watch the call by Eades at the 11:57 mark of the first half. It’s the reason why Izzo gets pissed and the “freedom of movement” rule is a joke. Winston slides in front of the UConn guard but is giving ground. The UConn guard is no threat to score, he initiates the minimal contact that there is, and it’s called a foul. Izzo freaks out, Eades big-times him by glaring, and life goes on. Meanwhile, it’s another example of brutal officiating and just dribbling the ball into people.

* Interesting that when Jackson went out, Carter stepped up to guard Larrier and held his own. That’s because of how smart of a defender he is.

* Nick Ward’s start to the 2nd half changed a lot of the momentum. Ran the floor and got a bucket. Took a charge, got a putback. Then Jackson with a beast FT putback dunk. Ward really got that started which was 180 degrees different than how he started the game.

* Last 4 minutes of the game, when MSU needed stops, Xavier Tillman was in the game. Not Ward/Carter/Schilling. Notable.

* Carter had 2 under the radar HUGE assists out of the zone in the 2nd half. Big plays, so smart.