Coaching Corner - +3/-3 for MSU vs. Penn State

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+3

1. The second half.

2. Matt McQuaid’s defense of Tony Carr, not to mention his two huge 3’s, significantly impacted the second half. Carr couldn’t be stopped in the first 12 minutes where he scored 14 points. McQuaid forced him into tough shots and made him a passer at times of the second half.

3. Miles Bridges and Cassius Winston took over the game on the offensive end in the second half. Bridges played A LOT at the “4,” with Jackson in foul trouble. For an 8 minute stretch after not starting the second half, Winston came in and orchestrated everything offensively. He got the break going, created off the high ball screen, and got his own. Ends the game with 15 points and 10 assists. The possession where he skipped the ball out of the double team to Bridges, who kicked to Langford, who made a 3, was one of the best possessions of the year. Bridges attacked the rim, finished, drew fouls, and made a couple 3’s.

-3

1. The first half.

2. 6 points for Nick Ward. The way other teams are able to take Ward out of the game by double-teaming, and MSU not making them pay, is a major issue for this team in the half-court. A couple times he dribbled into more trouble. Other times he attacked too quickly from too far away. He needs to be patient, take the one reverse dribble out, and move the ball. If he can catch it deep enough, the double won’t even come.

3. 2 stat lines that plague this team...Jaren Jackson foul trouble and turnovers. Jackson had to sit much of the second half again. It’s a different team when he is on the floor. 16 turnovers tonight, 5 of them early that allowed Penn State to build the lead. Those two state lines need to change.

Coaching Corner

* MSU scores 52 in the 2nd half, much of those with Miles Bridges at the “4.” What impact did that have?

- They ran sets with a mid/high post player and more of a 4-out look. That led to Bridges coming off pin downs, making curl cuts, and even getting hand-offs. All of those things allowed him to have a half-step head of steam when he caught the ball. As he’s not going to work you out with a dribble move, those type of cuts are very important for him to get good looks and use his strength and athleticism. What we saw in the 2nd half was Bridges playing the “4” like he did last year. Better spacing, coming off screens, and with momentum.

- The other thing Bridges at the 4 allows MSU to do is be more spaced when Ward catches in the post. Instead of having a 2nd big to double from (who is usually a couple steps away), the double has to come from further and the spacing for the defense to recover from is greater. I wonder if Ward and Jackson can man more of the minutes at the 5, Jackson and Bridges splitting them at the 4, and Goins/Tillman/Schilling with a little less.

Extras

* I think MSU still needs a little more out of Kenny Goins. He was just “OK” in the 2nd half defensively (beat off the bounce for 2 straight buckets) and threw up a brutal looking shot. If he’s going to play that many minutes, he needs to play better on both ends.

* MSU is playing with a little bit of fire. To play that horrible in the first half both games and then play that amazing in the second half, is scary. You play a half as bad as the first against very good teams, you’ll be down 20 and won’t come back.

* I’m a Pat Chambers fan. I think he is the right kind of coach for Penn State. But one of these years he needs to get over the hump and get into the dance. Probably needs a couple upsets on the way in to make that happen.