MSU-Penn State Open Thread
Posted by kj on Sunday, February 1st, 2009
I won’t be back from church until roughly halftime. So you’re on your own until then.
For any early birds out there, here’s a Penn State pre-game perspective on the game, courtesy of a pretty optimistic Crispin and Cream.
Filed in open thread118 responses so far
118 Responses to “MSU-Penn State Open Thread”
TMadison25on 01 Feb 2009 at 11:48 am 1Over/Under: 11.5 turnovers.
mkon 01 Feb 2009 at 11:49 am 2Why so early on Sunday? Well, I’m recording the game on my dvr, and plan to read live chat along with recorded game later. can’t wait to read live chat!!!
Hope Allen can make some shots today.
Sparty Basketballon 01 Feb 2009 at 12:02 pm 3Definitely over on the 11.5 turnovers. A better number would have been 14.
SpartanDanon 01 Feb 2009 at 12:03 pm 4TMad: If it’s under, we win big. Our offensive rebounding makes us ridiculously efficient on offense when we don’t turn the ball over.
SpartanDanon 01 Feb 2009 at 12:07 pm 5Uh-oh. I heard the announcer say something about Hightower. Be prepared for ugly basketball.
TMadison25on 01 Feb 2009 at 12:08 pm 6Ummm goaltending? Lucky we put that back.
TMadison25on 01 Feb 2009 at 12:09 pm 7Summers, time after time.
SpartanDanon 01 Feb 2009 at 12:10 pm 8That fast break was so quick the cameramen didn’t catch it. I love watching us run the break. Now if we could just rebound on the defensive end …
SpartanDanon 01 Feb 2009 at 12:11 pm 9Those alley-oops haven’t worked all year. Why do we keep trying them?
TMadison25on 01 Feb 2009 at 12:12 pm 10Those alley-oops didn’t work last year either… Why do that with so many offensive threats? I guess if it goes down, the crowd is in it.
donaldoon 01 Feb 2009 at 12:14 pm 11Hopefully Lucas won’t wait until the second half to get going.
SpartanDanon 01 Feb 2009 at 12:17 pm 12Away-from-the-ball foul negates a potential steal and fast break. Thanks a lot, Hightower.
TMadison25on 01 Feb 2009 at 12:17 pm 13Ed “off-the-ball-cheap-hand-check” Hightower.
donaldoon 01 Feb 2009 at 12:18 pm 14Got the shooting stokes going. Defense now.
Benon 01 Feb 2009 at 12:19 pm 15Our transition game is absurdly good.
TMadison25on 01 Feb 2009 at 12:20 pm 16That should’ve been a foul on Walton.. He was kinda mauling him.
Return of Chris Allen? I saw him playing some good defense, too.
SpartanDanon 01 Feb 2009 at 12:21 pm 17Allen’s hit two already (one inside the arc from the baseline). Is the slump finally history? *crosses fingers*
donaldoon 01 Feb 2009 at 12:21 pm 18The Allen love is working.
TMadison25on 01 Feb 2009 at 12:23 pm 19Air ball! Air ball! Air ball! Air ball!
donaldoon 01 Feb 2009 at 12:24 pm 20Delvon! That’s the move we’ve been waiting for.
Benon 01 Feb 2009 at 12:24 pm 21That was a phenomenal fake by Roe.
SpartanDanon 01 Feb 2009 at 12:25 pm 22That better not be a shooting foul – there was no attempt to shoot whatsoever (although that might have been because Green flipped over him). Think the refs were pointing to the baseline, though, so the announcers may have just gotten it wrong.
Chrison 01 Feb 2009 at 12:29 pm 23Roe is doing a great job on Cormley.
SpartanDanon 01 Feb 2009 at 12:32 pm 24That was a bizarre sequence – Lucas nearly gets tripped and there’s no foul, then Pringle gets a reach-in.
donaldoon 01 Feb 2009 at 12:32 pm 25Summers is making good decisions – looking for good shots.
Here comes the Thornton burst.
SpartanDanon 01 Feb 2009 at 12:32 pm 26Thornton sighting! Too bad he turned it over right away after the board.
TMadison25on 01 Feb 2009 at 12:33 pm 27Thornton rebound!
Roe is playing well on both sides. No stupid fouls, please.
Zekeon 01 Feb 2009 at 12:33 pm 28Pringle a little eager with his hands… zing!
donaldoon 01 Feb 2009 at 12:37 pm 29We’re on a Roe.
SpartanDanon 01 Feb 2009 at 12:38 pm 303 fouls on Pringle, and a 17-3 run.
Chrison 01 Feb 2009 at 12:41 pm 31Lot’s of standing around on offense.
donaldoon 01 Feb 2009 at 12:41 pm 32What happened to the perimeter defense?
SpartanDanon 01 Feb 2009 at 12:41 pm 33PSU going nuts from long range all of a sudden. Even Walton can’t guard Battle – that guy is good.
TMadison25on 01 Feb 2009 at 12:41 pm 34Defend the perimeter, maybe?
TMadison25on 01 Feb 2009 at 12:42 pm 35True, Battle is making some nice shots.
kjon 01 Feb 2009 at 12:45 pm 36Alright, I’m here. Glad to see the boys have played pretty well despite my absence.
TMadison25on 01 Feb 2009 at 12:46 pm 37There we are, Dan. Finally an alley-oop goes down.
donaldoon 01 Feb 2009 at 12:46 pm 38Get them out of their seats, Q.
SpartanDanon 01 Feb 2009 at 12:46 pm 39Hey, an alley-oop that worked!
TMadison25on 01 Feb 2009 at 12:47 pm 40Close the first half on a strong run, kj.
SpartanDanon 01 Feb 2009 at 12:48 pm 41Great swat, but it doesn’t matter if the ball goes right to a guy who has a wide-open layup.
SpartanDanon 01 Feb 2009 at 12:49 pm 42Traveling? Gray didn’t even move!
kjon 01 Feb 2009 at 12:50 pm 43Apparently, we’re better off if I’m not watching.
Talor Battle is simply phenomenal.
SpartanDanon 01 Feb 2009 at 12:51 pm 44PSU 7 for 12 from behind the arc. We’re 2 for 12. That’s just nuts.
kjon 01 Feb 2009 at 12:51 pm 45Gray switched his pivot foot.
MooTheKowon 01 Feb 2009 at 12:52 pm 46So.. 10 good minutes.. 10 awful minutes … disappointing.
donaldoon 01 Feb 2009 at 12:52 pm 47I suggest we focus on limiting Battle in the second half. That lead evaporated in no time.
Sparty Basketballon 01 Feb 2009 at 12:52 pm 48Note to Michigan State: Talor Battle can shoot. If he keeps this up, he will have another BTN commercial featuring him against Michigan State.
donaldoon 01 Feb 2009 at 12:55 pm 49Maybe we should switch to the green uniforms and pretend we’re on the road.
kjon 01 Feb 2009 at 12:56 pm 50Looks like 3-point shooting has been the key stat so far.
7-13 for them.
2-10 for us.
That has to narrow some, right?
Tough to stop Battle if he’s going to shoot from 5 feet behind the line, though.
CrispinandCreamon 01 Feb 2009 at 1:02 pm 51I have no idea how we’re up but our team just has that special feel to it. While we’re shooting lights out, Pringle hasn’t even gotten started yet, and we turned the ball over A LOT for our standards.
You guys still hold the clear talent advantage. You’re just bigger, faster, stronger. Won’t surprise me if we breakdown in the second half, but I’m not betting against our team anymore. Battle is just remarkable.
TMadison25on 01 Feb 2009 at 1:08 pm 52Lucas. Every time.
Kudos to Penn St and their clutch shooting.
SpartanDanon 01 Feb 2009 at 1:09 pm 53Second forced timeout on an inbounds play. We’re not pressing much, but it’s worked really well. (Then again, that one was probably more attributable to nobody on PSU realizing they needed to come back for the inbounds. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a timeout forced by a one-man press before.)
donaldoon 01 Feb 2009 at 1:10 pm 54Time to turn up the D. 56% shooting from PSU is unacceptable.
TMadison25on 01 Feb 2009 at 1:11 pm 55Ha. The infamous one-man press. Alright, a big run to get this half going.
TMadison25on 01 Feb 2009 at 1:13 pm 56Uh-oh. You can’t get on Hightower’s bad side.
donaldoon 01 Feb 2009 at 1:13 pm 57Ed was a little quiet. He needed some TV face time.
SpartanDanon 01 Feb 2009 at 1:13 pm 58What is it with particular refs always calling Ts on the same people? Cornley’s gotten one two games in a row by Hightower, Izzo always gets one when Maracich is involved.
donaldoon 01 Feb 2009 at 1:16 pm 59That may be the turning point sequence.
SpartanDanon 01 Feb 2009 at 1:17 pm 60Did Cornley start talking some trash and get the T for that? Bad idea. Very bad idea. He got his team fired up against Iowa with a T, but I think he got us mad this time. And he’s not going to like us when we’re angry.
TMadison25on 01 Feb 2009 at 1:22 pm 61Man, far too many times have we played good defense for 30 seconds just to bail them out with a last second foul or easy basket.
SpartanDanon 01 Feb 2009 at 1:23 pm 62How about we not throw the ball away, guys?
SpartanDanon 01 Feb 2009 at 1:24 pm 63I’m getting really sick of guys suddenly hitting halfcourt shots all game long when they play us.
Sparty Basketballon 01 Feb 2009 at 1:25 pm 64Green, Lucious, and Allen on the floor at the same time is not the answer. Why all three at once?
SpartanDanon 01 Feb 2009 at 1:26 pm 65Gotta make the free throws, Lucious. Seriously.
Sparty Basketballon 01 Feb 2009 at 1:28 pm 66Oh…the lineup got even worse. Gray, Green, Allen, Walton, and Lucious. Another example of no reasoning behind Izzo’s substitutions.
kjon 01 Feb 2009 at 1:29 pm 67Shades of Northwestern. Nittany Lions are way too confident right now.
SpartanDanon 01 Feb 2009 at 1:30 pm 68“Shades” of Northwestern, kj? This is an exact repeat, right down to the H-O-R-S-E shots that are falling every blasted time.
GBBoundon 01 Feb 2009 at 1:30 pm 69I believe PSU has made all 8 shots in the 2nd half, 11 straight baskets, and 16 of the last 18 shots since being down 29-16.
donaldoon 01 Feb 2009 at 1:30 pm 7023 point turnaround. Desperately need a run. Get some stops.
SpartanDanon 01 Feb 2009 at 1:31 pm 71I’d say we look like a bunch of chickens with our heads cut off, but that’s probably more organized than we are right now.
Sparty_in_Ohioon 01 Feb 2009 at 1:34 pm 72This thread gets a little too negative at times….
SpartanDanon 01 Feb 2009 at 1:35 pm 73Over and back, anyone?
TMadison25on 01 Feb 2009 at 1:35 pm 74Aptly negative.
MooTheKowon 01 Feb 2009 at 1:36 pm 75crappy… MSU going to lose back to back home games to NW and PSU
Sparty_in_Ohioon 01 Feb 2009 at 1:37 pm 76Sometimes there isn’t much you can do when the other team is knocking down just about everything they throw up….banked three? That’s a definite defensive breakdown…
kjon 01 Feb 2009 at 1:37 pm 77This game is all about Talor Battle. End of story.
Izzo wasn’t even upset when he called that TO. He knows there’s nothing the guys can do against Battle right now.
MooTheKowon 01 Feb 2009 at 1:40 pm 78KJ – they can’t stop some of those shots by Taylor Battle but they can respond by making shots of their own and not turning it over. They’ve done neither. He should be mad. They’re playing poorly on the offensive end.
donaldoon 01 Feb 2009 at 1:40 pm 79Maybe they can’t stop Battle, but we need some baskets to get some momentum going.
SpartanDanon 01 Feb 2009 at 1:43 pm 80We need to start pressing. It’s worked a couple times already on the inbounds.
TMadison25on 01 Feb 2009 at 1:45 pm 81Alright… A Summers three… Get this crowd going.
Sparty Basketballon 01 Feb 2009 at 1:46 pm 82No way I agree with fouling with 4 minutes to go.
donaldoon 01 Feb 2009 at 1:47 pm 83We’ll be stretching the game out from the free throw line. Need Penn St. to miss some.
Sparty_in_Ohioon 01 Feb 2009 at 1:47 pm 84I like the pressure…Now we have to hope that Penn State doesn’t make all their free throws.
MooTheKowon 01 Feb 2009 at 1:48 pm 85Umm. I’d much rather PSU have to make 2 FTs with little time run off the clock than have them waste 3 seconds and hit a ridiculous 3 pointer every posession for the next four minutes. Without fouling MSU has no chance in this game. Plus – I think Izzo is just trying to get them into the bonus now.
SpartanDanon 01 Feb 2009 at 1:51 pm 86Four on Pringle, finally – he got his third halfway through the first half.
Sparty Basketballon 01 Feb 2009 at 1:51 pm 87It’s a 5 point game with 2:30 left. Even with a team 64% FT%, we should just play good defense.
SpartanDanon 01 Feb 2009 at 1:52 pm 88Two front-end misses in a row for PSU, plus a bricked layup, and now Pringle is out and Lucas is on the line.
TMadison25on 01 Feb 2009 at 1:53 pm 89Pringle’s out.
SpartanDanon 01 Feb 2009 at 1:54 pm 90One-possession game.
TMadison25on 01 Feb 2009 at 1:55 pm 91That was a bad no call.
Sparty_in_Ohioon 01 Feb 2009 at 1:55 pm 92Hightower made a call in our favor???????
SpartanDanon 01 Feb 2009 at 1:56 pm 93Great save by Walton. Let’s get this.
donaldoon 01 Feb 2009 at 1:56 pm 94Lucas needs to drive and see if he can draw the foul.
MooTheKowon 01 Feb 2009 at 1:58 pm 95Could have really used that 3 by summers….
SpartanDanon 01 Feb 2009 at 1:59 pm 96Another front-end miss! But you have to get the board.
MooTheKowon 01 Feb 2009 at 2:00 pm 97MSU has certainly had theri chances.. just haven’t been able to capitalize.
SpartanDanon 01 Feb 2009 at 2:02 pm 98Lucious, you can’t run the guy over – especially if you’re guarding the one guy that we don’t want at the stripe.
donaldoon 01 Feb 2009 at 2:03 pm 99Just get this to OT
SpartanDanon 01 Feb 2009 at 2:03 pm 100Never mind. He missed both. Penn State is doing their best to throw this one away.
kjon 01 Feb 2009 at 2:04 pm 101Serves Battle right that he missed both FTs. He grabbed Lucious and fell backwards on the foul call.
MooTheKowon 01 Feb 2009 at 2:04 pm 102Lucious got screwed there.. Battle hooked his arms… karma kicked in though.
Sparty_in_Ohioon 01 Feb 2009 at 2:04 pm 103SpartanDan…take another look. Battle grabbed Luxious and faked the foul.
donaldoon 01 Feb 2009 at 2:05 pm 104It has to be all Lucas. We deserve one to drop for us after all the prayers PSU hit earlier.
SpartanDanon 01 Feb 2009 at 2:05 pm 105Lucas to the line.
donaldoon 01 Feb 2009 at 2:07 pm 106Would have loved Allen to hit a big one, but he can’t be the one in crunch time.
MooTheKowon 01 Feb 2009 at 2:09 pm 107DAmn.. so many chances blown.
Sparty Basketballon 01 Feb 2009 at 2:12 pm 108Well, they made it close in the end and still had a chance to win it. It wasn’t in the cards today.
SpartanDanon 01 Feb 2009 at 2:13 pm 109Two Big Ten losses, both due to absolutely ridiculous shooting by the opponents from a mile away. Can’t do much but tip your hat to Coble and Battle for making shots that simply should not go down as often as they did today.
donaldoon 01 Feb 2009 at 2:16 pm 110Need to let this one go and get a win against Minnesota. Wednesday is a big test for the guys.
kjon 01 Feb 2009 at 2:16 pm 111What SpartanDan said.
I’m going for a run.
Andrewon 01 Feb 2009 at 2:18 pm 112SpartanDan – You are exactly right. You can’t get too mad about these losses. You’d like to see the team hold on to leads and come up with clutch shots at the end, but some times teams have great nights. It just happens that two traditionally bad teams that are better this year had great individual performances in the Bres from their stars. With the Morgan illness and the effort at the end of the game, you just have to realize that you’re going to lose some games in the conference.
donaldoon 01 Feb 2009 at 2:22 pm 113A run sounds like a good idea.
Adamon 01 Feb 2009 at 2:26 pm 114A free throw away…When you’re down by 12 and finish out the game on a 12-1 run, end up at the line with a chance to tie the game with 12 seconds left…who do you put at the line?
Lucas. 8 for 8 up to that point.
But…dang. And what was that last shot? Off – balance, hanging midair from fifteen feet?
Two chances to tie right at the end, both missed chances. I feel like I just watched a Tigers game.
rook34on 01 Feb 2009 at 2:39 pm 115We had our chances. Lucas missing a free throw to tie. Multiple shots in the aire to tie or go ahead. Crazy shooting by PSU.
Still, this game is another example that we’re not going anywhere without a healthy Morgan. We’re a lot easier to guard when he isn’t around. We also don’t guard or rebound as well.
We’re halfway through. Tied with Purdue, with PSU, Minny and Illinois lurking. Time to buckle up.
rook34on 01 Feb 2009 at 3:38 pm 116Morgan now reported to have walking pneumonia.
Ouch.
donaldoon 01 Feb 2009 at 3:45 pm 117And I hear Allen has shooting pneumonia.
rook34on 01 Feb 2009 at 4:09 pm 118Well, pneumonia is highly contagious.