Dylan posted above that it sounds like the cases came from some lesser used PSU players but they should be good to play the rest of this week. Obviously could change if more people test positive.
Yeah I was curious since M has @ PSU this weekend I believe.
This isn’t fully fleshed out, but as I comb through Torvik’s individual metrics I’m starting to think that the best-case scenario for MSU is Rocket Watts simply not playing…ever.
Hoggard is sort of like Tum Tum except there’s no Winston to pass him. Instead the other option is Mike Kebler. It’s not a fun choice but nor is it a hard one.
Obviously Izzo came to the same conclusion 
2 Likes
Couple questions re MSU:
-
How can AP be ranking them 23 when they are ranked 50 on Kenpom and 65 on Torvik?
-
Why does ESPN show MSU favored by 1 1/2 points over Rutgers for tonight’s game where Kenpom ranks Rutgers 19 vs MSU 50 and Torvik ranks Rutgers 20 vs MSU 65? Does MSU being on home court make that much of a difference?
2 Likes
John Higgins worked the WVU/OkSt game, and he also did the Michigan/Nebraska game on Christmas Day. I guess the B1G wasn’t able to secure 100% exclusive officials as they’d hoped.
1 Like
I don’t think they have been 100% the same refs but there have been a lot of refs who are doing only Big Ten games. The usual suspects like Carstensen, Boroski, Courtney Green, Scirotto.
I don’t think Terry Wymer has done a Big Ten game this year which is odd, he must not have wanted the exclusive deal.
It’s funny because the conclusion everyone has come to is that Watts at PG didn’t work so it’s necessary to move on. And I definitely agree, Watts has been an abject disaster on both ends for the majority of this season. But when you look at his statistical profile, the only thing keeping him close to average is his high AST rate and low TO rate, AKA the most PG-like things to look at. So from a statistical profile standpoint, he’s actually fine as a PG, but terrible at everything else basketball wise.
I think the general sentiment is that trying to be a PG has messed with him mentally which has caused his scoring/defense to suffer, and that a lot of his assists come more from MSU running offense rather than him making plays as a PG. And both of those things are probably true, so I’m not trying to say he should still be the PG. But if the solution to one of your preseason top 3 players struggling at PG is to bench him and move him to SG so he can play only 15 minutes against Nebraska and score 9 points on 8 shots with literally 0 other stats and 25% shooting from 3, well did you really find a solution? And it’s that much worse when you actually play him back at PG in crunch time.
One last thing that amazes me: So far this season Watts has 0 steals and 0 blocks (he’s actually not the only MSU player to do that, Julius Marble is the same). Obviously we know Watts has struggled on defense but he had 3 games last year with 5 steals, another with 4 and a bunch more with 2 or 3. Yet somehow this year he has 0. There is not a single rotation player for Michigan who hits the mark of 0 blocks and 0 steals, yet MSU has 2. Just wild.
3 Likes
It is a strange situation. In some ways it reminds me of the inexplicable THJ sophomore season where he couldn’t hit water if he fell out of a boat. As you said, it must be mental. Last year he guarded the opposing PG much of the time so they could hide Winston elsewhere - so why is he struggling with that part of his game this year? (Unless Tillman just covered for all defensive issues.)
I think they said it right in the pod…since Izzo seems hell bent on playing Langford 30 minutes this feels less like “move to the 2” and more like “move to the bench”.
1 Like
I’m sure Izzo wakes up every morning, remembers that he was unable to successfully goad Xavier Tillman into staying four years, and has a good, long cry into his many, many pillows.
20 Likes
This post is 12 minutes old and only has one like. C’mon, now, forum. Let’s do the right thing.
3 Likes
I noticed Kelly Pfeiffer and DJ Carstensen reffing at Mohegan Sun early in the season. Whymer out of the B1G is addition by subtraction, for a Michigan fan.
2 Likes
Yeah, I’d still consider someone a Big Ten exclusive ref if they’ve only done Big Ten games since Mohegan Sun.
1 Like
- Because AP poll is subjective voters, they can choose to rank however they want.
- Barttorvik seems to have Rutgers as a slight 2 point favorite, but bettors and Vegas must be giving benefit of doubt to MSU. If you totally believe in Barttorvik as a predictive measure, then I suppose you’re getting 3.5 points of value there.
1 Like
I’m wondering the exact same thing! I know it is pretty close to a must-win game for Sparty, but this Rutgers moneyline screams to be played hard. Has Vegas really convinced itself that AJ Hoggard is the answer because of that stupid 5 assist, 1 turnover stat over which everyone is salivating? I don’t really bet so I guess I need somebody to convince me not to take this plunge because this just seems like badly misjudged odds propped up by MSU’s (and Duke’s) brand, the AP rank (iterative of the brand), and an overvaluation of home-field advantage. Aaron Henry can’t play Nebraskatball every game to have career outings. What gives?
Plus Rutgers had the bodies to throw at Henry. Between Mathis, Harper, Johnson on the interior the going is gonna be a bit rougher for Henry.
I agree that the line doesn’t make sense and I would take Rutgers easy.
And this guy’s got money in his name!
But yeah, I tend to agree. Assuming Rutgers is still back to healthy that seems like the smart play.
I put 5 units on Rutgers -1.5 for +125. They beat Illinois, played Iowa to the wire, and mainly lost to OSU because of injuries and unlucky foul trouble.
Feels like free money with how MSU has looked. I’m sure I’ll be proven wrong though.
1 Like
I spit out my drink. Social team really proud of this fact
13 Likes
Considering MSU to be a Top 25 team is absolutely ridiculous!
3 Likes