Coaching Corner: MSU vs. Illinois,

+3

1. Shot 68% on the road in the B1G game. 44% from 3 and 82% at the line. Wow. Scored 87 points. Averages 1.81 points per possession. Those are silly numbers. Illinois is 13th in B1G scoring defense and 13th in field goal percentage defense. We saw some of why that is the case.

2. 37-15 on the boards. Sure, when you don’t miss, it’s hard for the other team to get defensive rebounds, I get that. But to dominate a team that is meant to be built on toughness and physicality like that on the boards in their barn, was impressive.

3. Bridges and Jackson were stars. Miles goes for 31/8, plays 38 minutes, and misses only 2 shots! Jackson had 21/11/6 and only missed 1 shot! Off the charts efficient. This was another game where you saw glimpses of what Miles could be on the wing. He attacked early in the game off the bounce, finding a right-handed jump hook off the bounce. I thought it may have been Bridges most complete game of the year. A draft “expert” the other day on Twitter called Jackson’s offensive game “average.” It was laughable at the time and even more laughable now. Let’s see, can take a guard off the bounce from the 3 point line and dunk, can shoot the 3, and is developing post moves and a mid-range game. Yeah, average...if you are a unicorn.

-3

1. The obvious of obvious. 25 turnovers. 15 in the first half. 12 of those from the point guard position. I’d fault the point guards for maybe 6-7 of those. More on that in the coaching corner. Either way, the 70% shooting doesn’t excuse the 25 turnovers. The win by 13 doesn’t excuse the 25 turnovers. The 87 points don’t excuse the 25 turnovers. If the goal of this team was to finish in the top third of the B1G and have a nice tournament run, the 25 turnovers are not as big of a deal. Considering this team needs to hang banners and you just lost to Michigan primarily due to turnovers, it’s a big deal. Anyone who wasn’t surprised by MSU turning the ball over the most times in 13 years and it happening against an 0-8 B1G team, regardless of their style of play, sees the world through a different lens than most of us.

2. The inability to get Nick Ward post touches in the first half. I believe he may have had one. His inside presence makes this team a different animal. There cannot be games where he gets one post touch in a half, there just can’t be.

3. Kipper Nichols went off for 27 points. He averages around 9 a game. Another player who has an alarmingly big game against MSU due to a lack of a true defensive stopper at many positions. After Allen, Wagner, Bates-Diop, and others, it should be a cause for some concern.

Coaching Corner

* Let’s talk turnovers and the bashing that directly goes to the point guard position. I would say that 1/2 to 2/3 of the turnovers were their fault. Some was Nairn simply not being able to hold on to the ball. Some were poor decisions on passes. Others were because Winston is slower than those guarding him and had to push off to create space. Winston’s lack of quickness was a major issue for him in this game.

For other turnovers, if you are dribbling out by half court, with a man right into you, and your job is to enter the ball at the wing and the elbow, and no one is open, that turnover isn’t all on you. Now, some of it is, as you either get stripped or throw a pass that could’ve been better. But that’s a turnover on the other 4 players and the coaching staff. From my count, at least 4 of the first 6 possessions were designed for a wing or elbow entry. Coach Izzo said afterwards that the post players were supposed to recognize that and flash for pressure release. I get that and it’s clearly the right move. I do think having that many sets with elbow/wing entries to start the game didn’t put Winston in the best position to be successful. In the second half, when Winston was being pressed close to half-court, he abandoned the set, drove into the lane, and kicked to Langford for a 3.

When Illinois comes to East Lansing in February, it will be interesting to see how MSU prepares and what they script early. MSU always has back-door sets, or pressure-release plays. I’ve seen at least 15 different versions and I’m sure there is more. That’s different than a team like Michigan who has those back door cuts as part of their base offense. The difference in this game for MSU was that some of the back door cuts and lobs were not out of set plays, they were read and react moments. I wonder if next time, MSU spreads Illinois out a big more (not 2 bigs at the block or elbows) and looks to go to more of those read and react plays early in the game. Now, it’s hard to argue with the offensive game plan when you shoot 68% and score 87. However, I think those looks may cut down on the turnovers and allow you to be successful even if you shoot 52%.

Extras

* The way the two teams are so different defensively is one of the things I love about college basketball. Illinois plays 3 feet up the line and in the passing lane, even when you cut (thus the back door dunks). They are nose to nose with you on the catch. MSU plays in the gap, doesn’t deny any passes, and is an arms length away from you on the catch. Two very different styles both based on coaching beliefs. It will be interesting to see how Underwood does with that style (one that was successful at Stephen F. Austin) when he has his players in there.

* Some games MSU has quality depth. Other games, they just have depth. I thought only Schilling was a plus player in his minutes last night. You are still going to play guys to give the starters a breather, but last night was not quality depth, much like at OSU. Illinois played more players 19 minutes plus than MSU last night (8 to 5).

* I do think a defensive style like West Virginia would give MSU more trouble than a Wisconsin or Virginia. Ball pressure bothers our ability to get into sets. Quickness on the ball bothers our guys that can't create their own. This MSU team is good enough to beat anyone, but I think some of those matchups would be much better than others.

* MSU turns around and plays about as different of a style as you can face on Friday against the Badgers.