Serious question, which Big Ten teams have a better roster than State right now (assuming the people we think are going pro go pro)?
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I need to find a way around this paywall
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Izzo is betting on the players he’s recruited and his staff’s ability to continue to develop them. So, if you’re wondering what Michigan State’s roster will look like next season, it’s likely set.
“We’re going to roll the dice and say, we like what we’ve got, we’re fine with what we’ve got,” Izzo said Wednesday.
If that seems concerning given MSU’s own fluid offseason, Izzo doesn’t share your anxiety. Not about next season’s roster, at least.
“I actually feel way better about my team and program than I do about my profession,” he said. “And I feel way, way better about my team, my program and my profession than I do the NCAA.”
“I think we’ll be better at the guard spots than we’ve been (in a few years),” Izzo said.
He also thinks they’ll be fine at center with junior Mady Sissoko — “We believe we can make him player” — and freshman Jaxon Kohler.
“I think we’ve got a chance to be as good (at that position) in a different way,” Izzo said.
Izzo: Well, I don’t think I’ll ever use 13 scholarships again. Last year, for the first time in 27 years, I used 11. Because I don’t think you can keep 13 (players) happy. I’m not sure you can keep 11 happy. Definitely, roster management is the ultimate thing that every (coach) is thinking (about). Now you can go two ways: You can fill your roster and then some, and say, “Hey, if guys are going to transfer (so be it).” Or you can try to manage the ones you’ve got and you build with them. And right now we’ve decided to keep people happy. We’re going to roll the dice and say, we like what we’ve got, we’re fine with what we’ve got. Now, if we get one injury, it could decimate the season. But if we don’t, and we pick up 13 guys, and you got three guys, four guys in the locker room complaining about playing time, it can decimate your locker room.
Just a cavalcade of cope and schadenfreude.
Need an emergency Sleepers podcast on this @buckets12
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I actually think this is a good mindset for Izzo to have. Just focus on what he feels he can do best.
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Pretty funny to compare this to Mike Brey’s “This is the world we’re in, and last time I checked, we make pretty good money. So everybody should shut up and adjust.”
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Bahahahahshshshahahahaha
You basically have 10 scholarship guys Izzo. The 11th was a developmental project that wouldn’t ever dream of transferring soon. Just so funny to me that he thinks he can turn Sissoko into a guy after he was a basically out of the rotation by the end of last year.
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I am going to give you some great news… Carson Cooper is the 10th scholarship.
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Lol yes realized that after. Even more insane.
Downside is Izzo can’t do an 11 man rotation anymore… or maybe we’ll get lots of football player minutes 
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Rotation probably looks something like this… 9 guys… Any injury completely destroys the team basically.
PG - Hoggard (30) - Akins (10)
SG - Walker (30) - Holloman (10)
SF - Hall (16) - Akins (14) - Brooks (10)
PF - Hauser (26) - Hall (14)
C - Sissoko (18) - Kohler (18) - Hauser (4)
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If he’s serious about Sissoko that is bonkers. Would he start in the MAC??
I am one of those guys that thinks Hall is MSU’s best player. But that 3 spot looks very weird to me. Either a 6’2" guard or a 4.
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I agree with you on all of that. I was concerned that Hall seemed to fade so dramatically down the stretch after everyone was lobbying so much for more PT for him.
Some of the things Izzo is saying have merit - keeping 13 guys happy, locking up all of your scholarships, relying too much on people that don’t know your system or culture…
But at the same time it isn’t clear if this is by choice or just the result of him being stuck with what he has. Not to mention that his culture includes large rotations, yanking guys for “teaching moments”, defense, rebounding, etc.
Will be a wild ride for them and they have talent, if a little flawed. One injury and they are probably toast.
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Right. We have talked about this. Izzo has hurt himself over the past 2-3 years by playing 14 guys, hockey-style shifts, indecision at center, etc. So on the one hand if his rotation is forcibly tightened it could make his team better.
But a program is more than just your 40-minute lineups. You have to scout, prep, practice, etc. And Izzo loves physicality.
We know he was after one portal guy in Parrish, so I don’t think it’s an independent epiphany. He makes it sound like carrying 13 scholarships is so obviously stupid, but how many programs carry nine, functionally? Like Reegs said, Carson Cooper is the 10th – I can’t really imagine what it would look like if he suddenly had to contribute 15+ minutes in a real B1G game.
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There’s a big difference between not carrying 13 guys and carrying 9 guys. In fact the math is pretty easy. If you have 9 scholarship players then one injury is likely to yank your whole season and you’re gonna be have to give freshman minutes regardless of their preparedness
I’m thoroughly enjoying today. Majority of MSU fans who told me I was nuts for two months are like uhhhhhhhh s***!
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what do you make of this news Mr. Buckets?
The other thing everyone else (on the MSU side) is missing on this is…
The 9 scholarship guys aren’t good! There’s zero all big ten players and zero future NBA guys on the roster (unless Kohler is fantastic).
They can talk themselves in circles about “now Izzo can’t play too many guys!” Or “now akins won’t be blocked!” but they needed multiple high impact star types via transfer to have a serious shot at competing for anything.
Also even MSU fans will tell you the entire season hinges on Hoggard and Hall being great. Now is when I remind them that Hoggard came off the bench all of last season behind Walker (who is still on the roster) and Hall came off the bench most of last season behind Hauser (who is still on the roster).
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Mostly that Izzo is washed. He can still coach a team full of bums to a Round of 32 no doubt but he can’t build a roster in this era worth winning anything important. Their entire next recruiting class hinges on Xavier Booker, who Duke just entered the recruitment of. Obviously it’s early but Izzo’s lazy and refusing to expand targets both in recruiting and the portal despite admitting they need more.
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I know it might not be a popular take, but are we really any better than them?
With Houstan, I’d say probably. But he’s gone.
Dickinson should absolutely destroy them again.
Aside from that, do we really have any other clear proven advantages over them?
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