All I have to say this early is don’t fall asleep on Kobe Bufkin. He wasn’t a MAA for nothing.
The one thing I need some help with is Malik Hall playing the 3 and guarding the opponent’s best wing. Is that really something he’s capable of? I really like Hall at the 4 and think he can be a match-up problem there. But at 6’8" 225 and someone that’s probably played almost no SF in his career…I just don’t see him sliding down and suddenly replacing Aaron Henry as their lock-down defender. Maybe I just haven’t seen him as much as BQ.
What’s trending positive for MSU are the true PG, the opportunity to get out and run, and the potential for their young guys to have upside that didn’t exist last year. I’m still not sure about their defense though, and they lost Henry (and Watts may have been a decent defender). I am also not sure about their shooting - unless Gabe Brown is unleashed in a way he’s never been before and the freshmen are good from day one.
IIRC, Hall spent plenty of time guarding threes last year. I just don’t see a ton of offensive upside playing him there.
If Brown/Christie are playing 28mpg, that’s a decent amount of perimeter shooting when you add Hauser into the mix.
Maybe you’re right. My perception was that Henry and Langford almost never came off the floor, thus meaning that one of them was likely guarding the 3 from the other team. I also know that Hauser played a ton and most of the time was at the 4.
I agree with you…I also agree with you that Brown’s stats last year should suggest that he didn’t play or shoot enough. But the other side of that equation is why hasn’t Brown played 28mpg this far into his career and will those reasons still exist this year?
Well, there are far fewer people to take his minutes this year. People around here are making a similar case for Johns, I’d say.
Langford, Watts and Henry are all gone from the 2/3 spots. Christie, Brown, Akins are the obvious guys to fill them. (This also explains why Hall will play more three).
I agree. I think that the new additions for MSU are the biggest reason for optimism…but another reason is the attrition. I think having Loyer, Watts, and Kithier leave without Langford coming back for another year actually protect Izzo for himself. There isn’t a temptation (except maybe at center) to play hard working guys that are inefficient - he almost has to play Walker, Akins, Christie, and Brown.
Agreed. I guess we call this addtrition? Going to miss Loyer in particular.
Yep. I was devastated when those were the only losses for MSU in the offseason. Losing Kithier and Loyer 100% will improve the team.
Frankly, I was shocked that Kithier left. He felt like the classic Austin Davis type of guy that Izzo clearly loved and was a valuable bench guy…