VS Kentucky

[gotime909]

Huge win!! Mady has went up against maybe the 2 best big men in the country so far and more than held his own. Zero depth behind him, but this team is fun to watch when he's on the floor.

 

[SpartyNash]

What a huge, gutty win. Really makes up for blowing that Gonzaga game.

Sissoko has improved leaps and bounds. I freely admit I thought he was going nowhere here. Boy has he been huge. Still need Cooper or Koehler to come on as a backup for him because we can?t always survive with only Sissoko.

Hauser was money tonight. Some forces late but he really was solid for us. Walker looked decent too. Hall had some big plays but he still frustrates me with his lack of aggressiveness and physicality.

 

[johnny2x2x]

Stunning how good we are. Should have beaten Gonzaga, but I think Kentucky is better than Gonzaga. 2-1 with a 1 point loss to #2 and a 2 OT win Vs #4. This is a top 10 team if they beat Nova next.

 

[Spartanmack]

4 guys in double digits, won the rebound battle, 85% from the FT line - other than turnovers it was a pretty complete game and really fun to watch.

It's early, but it looks like Sissoko has taken a bigger year-to-year step than any big man I've seen at MSU in a long time. Played great defense, cut down on fouls, seemed to know where to be on offense - was really in sync w/ Walker and had some nice finishes on a couple back door ally-oops. I certainly wasn't expecting that (I've been pretty rough on the guy) and I'm glad to see it. Turnovers were still a problem but overall guard play was really solid and needs to be that way consistently as the one thing we lack besides depth up front is that one guy that can take over a game or get buckets when you need them.

If they can get Hall to come out of his shell more (although he did have a sneaky 20 last night - didn't think he scored that many) and Akins to take the next step they'll be really tough to beat - as it is if they play like this they'll certainly compete for a B1G title. Still don't like watching Hoggard - he's become a pretty reliable PG but there's just something about the way he plays that's hard for me to watch.

And how about those in-bounding plays? I've grown so accustomed to "WTF, you called timeout to do that?" I was shocked to see us extend the game twice with amazing plays off a timeout.

 

[johnny2x2x]

4 guys in double digits, won the rebound battle, 85% from the FT line - other than turnovers it was a pretty complete game and really fun to watch.

It's early, but it looks like Sissoko has taken a bigger year-to-year step than any big man I've seen at MSU in a long time. Played great defense, cut down on fouls, seemed to know where to be on offense - was really in sync w/ Walker and had some nice finishes on a couple back door ally-oops. I certainly wasn't expecting that (I've been pretty rough on the guy) and I'm glad to see it. Turnovers were still a problem but overall guard play was really solid and needs to be that way consistently as the one thing we lack besides depth up front is that one guy that can take over a game or get buckets when you need them.

If they can get Hall to come out of his shell more (although he did have a sneaky 20 last night - didn't think he scored that many) and Akins to take the next step they'll be really tough to beat - as it is if they play like this they'll certainly compete for a B1G title. Still don't like watching Hoggard - he's become a pretty reliable PG but there's just something about the way he plays that's hard for me to watch.

And how about those in-bounding plays? I've grown so accustomed to "WTF, you called timeout to do that?" I was shocked to see us extend the game twice with amazing plays off a timeout.

On Hall, he was given the task of chasing UK's best perimeter shooters around all game yesterday. And he gave up almost no open looks from 3 all game. And his on the ball defense was fine too. I bet he was more exhausted than any other player after the game.

UK is a legit team, much more experienced than Coach Cal's teams usually are. I like them to beat Gonzaga Sunday when they play. They were as or more physical than we were last night and I thought Gonzaga shied away from contact when we played them and made their run to win it when the refs tightened up the game with the whistle.

Hoggard has trouble against more athletic guards like UK and Gonzaga have. He'll be a bully against most Big Ten guards. But even when he's not getting to the hoop, he's still passing the ball well, had 9 assists last night.

Don't know what this teams ceiling is, it's really early. But I do know that a week ago people were thinking 2-4 or 3-3 in their first 6 games would be fine, now I think everyone would be disappointed with 4-2. And what a crazy variety of teams we're playing. Gonzaga, UK, Villanova, Alabama, and ND all play such different styles, you couldn't pick 5 other teams that are more different to prepare for.

Gonzaga will get into their joke conference schedule and be a 1 seed. UK I think will get better as the season goes on. We probably just lost to a 1 seed by 1, and beat a 2 or a 3 seed.

Mady is a revelation, last 2 games against what I think are clearly the 2 best centers in college basketball and he goes for 32 and 17. And more than that, he looks like the heart of the team, his energy is contagious, and he looks like he's playing harder than every one else on the floor.

 

[Spartanmack]

On Hall, he was given the task of chasing UK's best perimeter shooters around all game yesterday. And he gave up almost no open looks from 3 all game. And his on the ball defense was fine too. I bet he was more exhausted than any other player after the game.

UK is a legit team, much more experienced than Coach Cal's teams usually are. I like them to beat Gonzaga Sunday when they play. They were as or more physical than we were last night and I thought Gonzaga shied away from contact when we played them and made their run to win it when the refs tightened up the game with the whistle.

Hoggard has trouble against more athletic guards like UK and Gonzaga have. He'll be a bully against most Big Ten guards. But even when he's not getting to the hoop, he's still passing the ball well, had 9 assists last night.

Don't know what this teams ceiling is, it's really early. But I do know that a week ago people were thinking 2-4 or 3-3 in their first 6 games would be fine, now I think everyone would be disappointed with 4-2. And what a crazy variety of teams we're playing. Gonzaga, UK, Villanova, Alabama, and ND all play such different styles, you couldn't pick 5 other teams that are more different to prepare for.

Gonzaga will get into their joke conference schedule and be a 1 seed. UK I think will get better as the season goes on. We probably just lost to a 1 seed by 1, and beat a 2 or a 3 seed.

Mady is a revelation, last 2 games against what I think are clearly the 2 best centers in college basketball and he goes for 32 and 17. And more than that, he looks like the heart of the team, his energy is contagious, and he looks like he's playing harder than every one else on the floor.

it's a great win against a good team but I'm at "cautiously optimistic" at this point - way ahead of where I was a week ago. Kentucky always has great talent but I'm not convinced they're a great team and I don't think Cal is a great coach. Still a great win for the resume - I hate that i have to cheer for KY to have a great season now.

 

[boogerlovejoy]

it's a great win against a good team but I'm at "cautiously optimistic" at this point - way ahead of where I was a week ago. Kentucky always has great talent but I'm not convinced they're a great team and I don't think Cal is a great coach. Still a great win for the resume - I hate that i have to cheer for KY to have a great season now.

That's great. We are great. Kentucky is great. Izzo is great. Cal is not so great. It was a great win vs a great opponent and will greatly increase our chances for the NCAA tournament.....which should be a great one this year.

Great!!!

 

[gotime909]

That's great. We are great. Kentucky is great. Izzo is great. Cal is not so great. It was a great win vs a great opponent and will greatly increase our chances for the NCAA tournament.....which should be a great one this year.

Great!!!

How do you really feel?

 

[Spartanmack]

That's great. We are great. Kentucky is great. Izzo is great. Cal is not so great. It was a great win vs a great opponent and will greatly increase our chances for the NCAA tournament.....which should be a great one this year.

Great!!!

that was a lot of 'greats' - I originally typed "I hate that I have to cheer for Kentucky to go undefeated the rest of the season" but I know I could never do that, so I changed it and threw in another 'great'.

still, I don't think KY is a great team (could be because i despise calipari and everything he stands for). To me they're the poor man's dook - perennially loaded with elite NBA level talent but not well coached and prone to underperform. As for dook, it's really frustrating to see their recruiting continue to be so successful (maybe even a little better) after krooziwooski leaves. At least they're not on our schedule so I can hope they lose every game.

 

[johnny2x2x]

Gonzaga lost at #11 Texas last night. The new Texas arena looks incredible.

MSU is in the Phil Knight invitational over Thanksgiving, if they win their first couple in that they could face #1 UNC. If that happens, their non conference schedule will have included preseason #1, #2, #4, #16. #20, and #21. Plus another game @ Notre Dame.

That's the type of schedule that if you win more than you lose, virtually guarantees you're making the tourney. Go 5-2 in those 7 games, and you'll make the NCC tourney if you go 8-12 in the Big Ten as long as you won your out of conference bunnies to get to 17 wins.

 

[Spartanmack]

Just rewatched the game with my son over the last 2 evenings (was a pretty late tip on a school night so he couldn't watch live). The last 5 minutes and 2 overtimes really covered up for/made me forget how sloppy the 2nd half was and how on-edge I was worrying we might get blown out - MSU had almost as many points (24) in 10 mins of overtime as they did in the entire 20 mins of 2nd hlf (26). Thankfully, the defense was pretty solid and KY was making mistakes as well, keeping them from opening up a bigger lead.