ACC/B1G Challenge

So here we are, another basketball season is in full swing.  MSU has been about what everyone expected compiling a 4-2 record with losses to UNC and Duke.  As a side note, MSU is the first team since NC State to play UNC and Duke as the first two games of the year.  I think that was sometime in the 70s, but don't quote me on that.  As of now the B1G sits with a 4-2 lead over the ACC in this years edition of the challenge.  What should we expect out of tonight's match up featuing MSU and Florida State?

First off expect a lot of offensive rebounding.  MSU currently rebounds their own misses at a rate of 35% while FSU is at 38%.  To go along with that, both teams love turning the ball over.  With both teams being over 10% of their possessions ending by losing the ball on possession. 

From there shooting will be a crucial.  FSU will run a lot of zone and force opponents to shoot a lot of three's.  In college, this is how upsets happen.  Unfortunately, MSU is awful at shooting the three ball at 23.8%  At lets be honest, there is one thing that MSU has been awful at for about the last 4 years it is shooting the three.  As a fan, I can only hope we score inside, or someone steps up and finally makes a three  ball. 

With that, both these teams are strong defensively and both rank in the top 10 in defensive efficiency stats (see kenpom) 

This is a short writeup and as the seasons goes on, I will get more indepth.  However, living in Chicago makes it hard to watch all the MSU games,  in the three I have seen (UNC, Duke UALR)  MSU has looked both good and bad. Off the bat it is easy to say Brandon Wood needs to step his game up, he is not at Valpo anymore.  He needs to score and shoot consistantly.  Along with that, Appling, has been very ineffective.  His best offense has been a charge.  If he can learn a pull up jumper or a tear drop, he could be deadly driving to the hoop.  For good notes,  Dawson has been unbelievable,  same with Nix and at times Payne.  I have not seen Kearney play one possession, and I imagine he wont play a lot all season. Similarly, Russell Byrd has not been able to find his stroke.  It looks pure in the air just isn't going through (please let his shot start falling).

So how can MSU win this?  Well if we can get back to what MSU is known for.  An up tempo game, pushing it out of bounds after rebounds and scoring in transition.  Of course the last time we were in the Final 4, we were hitting shots all year.  This years team has not been able to to that, so far.  This FSU team will be a great challenge with their length and athleticism.  A win would go a long way for MSU and will add a lot of confidence.   Also, Izzone, be loud.  The students mostly suck as football fans, and Izzo has called them out already this year for a lack of enthusiasm.  GET LOUD IZZONE.  In spite of the two teams defenses, I expect an uptempo game. I will call it 68-60 MSU. 

As it has been well stated before.  I am not much for stats in games.  They are nice to look at but when it comes to basketball, any team can get hot or any player can get cold.  Usually in basketball, the team with the best player on the floor wins.  This is especially true of college.  So in future writings you will hear me gripe a lot based on observations.  My observation that Durrell Summers was riding the struggle bus and looked off as far back as last years Maui Invitational almost got me kicked off the prestigious the only colors mainly because I will not back my observations up with any sort of stats.  By the end of the year, my game 2 observation was well established by the stat heads over there, and used as their own brilliant commentary.  You observe the game you see what is going on it is that simple.  That is how I like to watch basketball and that is how the game is played.