Penn State Game Recap (2/20/08)
Posted by kj on Wednesday, February 20th, 2008
Michigan State dominates the Nittany Lions, 86-49. I picked an excellent game to take the Official Wife and Official Sons of the Spartans Weblog to.
This was, of course, a home game against the second worst defensive team in the conference. But that shouldn’t detract from the fact that the Spartans played with a combination of confidence and clinical precision on the offensive end unseen in conference play to date. Consider:
- Only 7 turnovers in 59 possessions (11.9%).
- 58.1% shooting on 2-pointers (25-43) and 58.8% shooting on 3-pointers (10-17).
- 12 offensive rebounds in 27 opportunities (44.4%).
The net result: a season-high 1.46 points per possession. MSU came out with a purpose and played with intensity for a full 40 minutes. Even when Izzo inserted the entire second string with 12 minutes left in the second, they increased the lead by 10 points over the next 6 minutes.
From my vantage point in the 18th row of the upper deck, it looked like Izzo played it pretty cool after several early turnovers. The team seemed to respond and play aggressively and efficiently throughout the remainder of the game.
On the defensive end, MSU forced Penn State to take tough shots all night. Jamelle Cornley made a few nice post moves during the game, but finished just 4-11 from the field. And the Nittany Lions connected on only 5 of 19 three-point attempts (26.3%).
In a game like this, there are any number of attractive numbers to be found in the box score. Some highlights:
- I was surprised this game contained only 59 possessions. MSU pushed the ball early, even on made baskets. They only ended up scoring 10 fast break points, though, as they made good decisions as to when to pull the ball back out and probe the zone. Also, the total of just 18 turnovers between the two teams would tend to reduce the number of possessions in the game.
- Raymar Morgan looked much more comfortable with the basketball tonight. He scored 16 points on 7-8 FG shooting, hitting several jumpshots and attacking the basket in transition.
- A combined 15 assists vs. just 2 turnovers for Lucas and Walton. 30 assists (on 35 made baskets) vs. the 7 turnovers for the entire team.
- Neitzel played just 21 minutes–sitting out the final 12 minutes as Izzo got everyone involved. 14 players played and 12 scored–including walk-on and Okemos native Mike Kebler, who scored his first two points as a Spartan.
- Nice game for Marquise: 9 points and 7 rebounds. Plus one very nice assist–just his 8th of the year. He made a swing pass to Lucas over the Penn State zone for an open 3-point look, which Lucas knocked down. Nice to see Gray get pumped up about something other than a dunk on his way back down court.
- Herzog got 11 minutes tonight. He actually looked fairly composed on offense (compared to Ibok, at least), although he still needs to add more bulk as he lacked the strength to convert a couple inside looks, finishing 1-4 on FG attempts.
MSU played with just the right balance of patience and assertiveness against a zone defense tonight. We’ll see if they can maintain their new found offensive confidence against Iowa’s man-to-man defense on Saturday (2:00; ESPN).
In a superstitious attempt to make tonight’s performance reverberate into the remainder of the schedule, I’ve changed the blog header to a photo taken at the game . . .
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No Responses to “Penn State Game Recap (2/20/08)”
wifeofaspartanon 21 Feb 2008 at 9:04 am 1Great photo! Hope it does bring us luck! One of the highlights on tv was the chest bump of Naymick and Morgan after Gray kept the ball alive on the floor. Not only their smiles but their whole bodies radiated happiness. Great photo of Naymick bending way down to pick up the ball from the floor after Gray rolled it forward was in the Detroit Free Press game photos archive (sorry i don’t know how to put the link here).
Hard to be out of the conference title race but if the whole team can keep this renewed focus, it might be ok in the long run, for the dance. Not sure Izzo cares about the b10tourney but the seniors would probably like to hang a b10 banner if
they can play well for all 3 games of the b10 tourney.
Wisconsin looked good at Il last night. If we can beat them at the Kohl center might help in seeding and we need to beat IN at home also. I wonder if OSU loses to us, wisc, IN
in their last 5 games if they are in the dance? Would be a bummer to only get 4 b10 teams in. The next 2 1/2 weeks will be interesting. The b10 tourney is too close to selection sunday to help our seeding. Too often can only be hurt by an early exit from the b10 tourney.
Go Spartans!
NorthernSpartyon 21 Feb 2008 at 11:11 am 2So great to see everyone smiling again. I think that is just what the doctor ordered. Maybe your family was the good luck charm?
kjon 21 Feb 2008 at 11:27 am 3Yes. I think that’s it. Please make your checks payable to the Send the Spartans Weblog Family to All Future MSU Basketball Games Fund.
Sparty in Chicagoon 21 Feb 2008 at 7:12 pm 4Hi all,
I’ve been perusing the site for a couple weeks and you guys all do a great job with rigorous analysis and insightful comments. I look forward to becoming more involed, although I admit I am not nearly as statistically-oriented when it comes to basketball as you guys appear to be.
With respect to last night’s game, I (of course) missed because Comcast doesn’t offer the BTN. By all accounts it looks like domination from start to finish, and this kind of execution would have been useful a week ago. We’ll take it, I guess.
Anyway, here’s to better days ahead, a Big Ten tourney banner, and deep NCAA run (as a 5-6 seed, I would guess).
matton 21 Feb 2008 at 10:47 pm 5great game. since i’m always quick to complain after a bad game, i thought i should be fair and comment after good ones too. how did we lose to this team? besides their 2 starting guards and #2 (can’t remember his name), they have no one who should be allowed to play big ten basketball.
i had the tough job of sitting 2 rows behind the msu bench. what a way to watch a game. you notice so much more! maybe i’m slow but i had no idea that mark montgomery pretty much does all the player substituions? that surprised me. it was also funny to hear izzo get pissed at naymick everytime he went to check in for being too concerned with who he was checking in for rather than hurrying up to the scores table to check in.
i have to disagree with you on one thing, herzog look awful from where i was sitting. not only does he lack the body to play in the big 10 right now but the kid has NO confidence. not to mention he’s got terrible hands. i would say it would be a miracle if in 3 years we can compare him to naymick as a senior.
kjon 22 Feb 2008 at 8:13 am 6Well, where you were sitting was quite a bit closer–so I’ll take your word on Herzog.
Izzo needs to bring Naymick back as an assistant when he graduates, just to teach big men how to play defense.