Is this a Tyus Battle situation?
Seems more like he committed a long long time ago and now he has blown up and is getting blue blood interest. Very different from Tyus.
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Seems fair. I think we have the talent to perhaps exceed that a little, but weāre also working in a lot of new players. Could easily take some time to build chemistry and figure out roles.
Lmao. Illinois how
Michigan basketball: Five story lines to watch
I could be misreading things, but something seems different about this Michigan team. They seem closer, hungrier, more aggressive and with something to prove. I think the depth and competition for minutes will push them all to play harder and to get better throughout the season.
Iām going on record as saying Anthony Gaines is going to be a huge problem and make northwestern that much tougher.
I also loved Kopp this year for them. Iām not as high on nance but I really like the idea of Gaines and Kopp on the wings out there for the next four years from their perspective. As a Michigan fan though Well itās frightening. Those were two underrated prospects to me.
Love MSUās transition game, love Jaren Jackson, love Cassius Winston.
Question is what MSUās offense looks like in the halfcourt against a team that can take away the transition.
Winston made a risky cross-court pass without really looking to see if Langford was open. If the defender anticipates the pass and steps up into the passing lane instead of back-peddling, he either picks off the pass or forces a Winston travel.
More on MSUā¦ Jackson is a defensive monster. He eliminated Aminu from this game (a guy Michigan could struggle to contain) and his combination or length and improved strength is really tough at the four. 4 blocks and 2 steals and easily a few more deflections. Heās just scratching the surface too.
Watched the second half only. State looked ultra sloppy.
Just finished the first halfā¦ Obviously turnovers are an issue for MSU (and have been fairly often under Izzo). Can they cut down on those giveaways? Can they hit perimeter shots? Those are the fair questionsā¦
I just think that Jaren Jackson changes a lot for them and is going to be special.
Listening to the announcers meat riding Izzo was pretty gross. Paraphrase: āif you are a good basketball player in the state of Michigan then there is really only one school to commit to.ā Yeah rightā¦
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Jackson is something else for sureā¦ think the chink in Stateās armor is decision makingā¦
A glance at the MSU score sheet has some interesting numbers:
3 pt shooting ā MSU 3/12, NFl 11/29 - advantage NFl
TOs and ORbs almost cancel each other out.
How did MSU win?
(a) 2 pt shooting ā Ospreys shot 12-37 on 2s - 32%, while MSU shot 32/49 on 2s, 65%
(b) FT advantage ā MSU +16
A lot of transition against a physically overmatched opponent. Doesnāt mean MSU doesnāt or wonāt have other stuff in the arsenal, but thatās a much tougher recipe for winning against good B1G teams.
My concerns for them would be:
(1) Losing the 3 pt battle often and/or decisively. Schilling, Ward, Nairn canāt shoot. McQuaid is streaky and if heās on the floor then they lose some of the other advantages. Will Jackson, Bridges, and Langford be able to shoot 3s? Will Ward, Jackson, and Bridges be able to stop other teams from shooting 3s?
(2) TOs
(3) Offense besides transition.
They do have a ton of potential and if they can address those three issues even pretty well, watch out. That lineup of Bridges, Ward, Jackson, Langford, and Winston has a chance to be really good. That game against Duke will be interesting, but Iām also very curious about their game 11/30 against ND.
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One thing to note here from the UNF previewā¦ This is what UNF does. Great at maximizing 3PA and minimizing opponent 3PA.
Hit on it in here:
Absolutely, but itās also a fairly common strategy in college hoops. And if NFl can do it, then perhaps other teams will too. Thatās why Iām intrigued by the ND game. They generally shoot a bunch of 3s, have good offensive sets, etc. It might be a better indication of what MSU will look like against Michigan, Wiscy, etc., than Duke.
Shooting is the question mark for MSU but at the same time, Winston was 38%, Bridges was 39% and Langford was 41% from three all at over 2.0 attempts per game last season. Thatās a decent enough sample size to assume those three can shoot. And Jackson apparently had the green light from Izzo cuz he got a quick 3FG attempt up last night too. Turnovers will always be an issue but Winstons passing ability could be special enough that you have to live with that. I thought the biggest thing holding them back would have been Izzoās affinity for playing experience over talent but man that five man lineup looks special to me