IPFW

Anybody actually see this game?  ... if yes than you must have been there.

Judging by the box score, it must not have been pretty.

Check Joe's blog for some game details, including Draymond Green getting more minutes than Marquise (7min to 6).

So my question is: Do games like this help or hurt?  Does it keep the team humble, or show their weaknesses?  Discuss...

P.S.  Saw some interesting PSU stats:  We haven't won there since 1965 (Joe Pa started coaching the lions in 1966).  A PSU win will not only guarantee them at least a share of the conference title, but will also be the team's 800th win (only UM, ND, Texas, Nebraska, and OSU have more; with Alabama, Oklahoma and Tennessee on the doorstep of 800).

Comments

[Kevin]

Listened to the game on internet radio, and all I could keep thinking was "Wright State." I laughed when I saw Joe's blog saying the same thing. We got away with phoning one in, and hopefully we can use that as a lesson going into the next two weeks.

[spartandawgs]

Yes I did see the game and I was there. It was an odd game almost like we played with urgency when they slowed us down we seemed bored it was odd. I thought we could have went inside to Suton more they were a small team but he set screens on the perimeter all night and never got down low touches. He was rebounding well and we weren't rewarding him for his hard work. A win is a win we will know a lot more about this teams in 4 more games.

[Bill]

How much of the 6700 crowd came down from Lansing?

[Brett]

I'm not sure how many more "Lessons" this group needs to know that they can't just go through the motions. GVS, Iowa, PSU. I was hoping this was a new year and a tougher team than last year. I know there are ups and downs in a season but Xavier just beat this team by 28.

[smarty pants]

Xavier only beat this team by 28 points at their place and IPFW shot terrible (I think in the low 20's%). Lets not use Xavier vs. IPFW as a barometer as to how good our team is.

[jd7]

I think a game like this is good. I know IPFW is not a great team, but these kinds of games on the road are difficult to win. Also, it gave some freshman (Green and Roe) good minutes in a hostile environment. It will pay off later. Sorry, but you can't throttle everybody.

[karatechop6]

spartandawgs said - "I thought we could have went inside to Suton more they were a small team but he set screens on the perimeter all night and never got down low touches."

I just don't understand why we don't have anything going down low. Remember the past couple years when an opponent plays tough perimeter D we pass the ball around (barely avoiding a steal) then chuck one up when the shot clock is out? This has gone on for years.

Why are our big guys always up top setting screens? ALWAYS!! Would any true low post center have any interest in coming to MSU? NO! Why would they? The only way they can score is off a rebound and put-back (or if they can shoot from outside).

I apologize for my frustration. I was just hoping this year would be different.

[Ben Green]

No doubt this opponent came at the right time. MSU was flying high. Playing against IPFW's ball control style certainly brings perspective and will undoubtedly result in necessary adjustments.

[Rob]

Point of reference...MSU didn't play Penn State, home or away, from 1967-1993, a period of 26 years.

[Marc]

Excellent point smarty pants. College basketball is way too competitive to blow everyone out. IPFW had this game circled for a long time. This was their tournament game. Getting out of there with a double digit win is a good win. Izzo expected a test and got a win with a bunch of teaching points for practice. This will be good in the long run.

[AtLSpartan]

We know we are not up to the caliber of North Carolina and others at the low post offensively, but that isn't a pass on not playing tough post defense. Gray is quick and athletic, he should be able to check anyone down low. That needs to be his focus.

Drew Naymick did a lot more than he got credit for defensively. I wish I could have seen this game, it sounds like it definitely revealed some weaknesses. Spartandawg said it was an "odd" game. It sure sounds like it.

See everyone at the Florida Bowl Game, Go Green.

[Brett]

Marc, Smartypants, I understand this was the biggest game for IPFW probably in the school's history......but if MSU wants to be an elite program like UNC, UCLA, Duke ect. then they should expect this. Do you think Izzo is using that for an excuse today?

[West Coast Steve]

I don't like getting all grammarian on you, but are my impressions of an emerging national Tower of Babel premature? Or, does "we could have went" sound like the retarded stereotype UMmers loves to pin on us. Wiktionary still lists the verb "to go" with a past participal of "gone." Should we spell Cuba "kyoobah" just because we feel like it and expect the literate world to circle around our lack of literacy?

I think for most Spartans ...with average IQs in the 120s to 140s... use of the past participal "gone" is probably doable by age 7. Am I missing something here? Does a jock guy suck up to the idea of being tougher or somehow more valued if he remains "pre-verbal" and sounding ignorant for life? I'm confused.

[BillSteak]

Was there - with my three year old, and even he would not have played as poorly as the Spartans.

They did what they have done since the national title...they played like it was a practice.

[MSUFan]

Seems, like same old Spartans with better athletes.

Not that I don't like same old Spartans. Running and Gunning makes for a fun game to watch when the other team lets it happen.

We just can't seem to apply the same ball pressure that ACC teams do to create turnovers to play that way.

I'd like to see something new in Izzo's offense a high / low game. There's something to be said about a dominating big man that requires double teams. And kick outs to great wing shooters.

[mikev]

Speaking of dominating centers---where were Ibok and Herzog? Did either of them attend the Big Man Camp I see advertised with Walton,et al? I hope they've been shooting 500 baby hooks a day against each other. Preferably while Walton is practicing the 8-14 foot pull-up jumper.
No way we should be #5. Looks like we're getting the Duke(b-ball) and UM(football), treatment.

[dmbtierney]

Having been at the game, I felt the biggest negative was the poor shot selection for about two-thirds of the game--rushed shots, off balance shots etc. There were a lot of good things that no one seems to want to talk about--not too many turnovers, good rebounding effort and very good interior defense. IPFW went to the line only seven times due mainly to the fact that they could not penetrate our interior. Most of their baskets made were mid-range jumpers. Conversely, we were able to penetrate and draw fouls and went to the line quite frequently (even discounting the fact that IPFW had to foul a lot at the end). A poor shooting night (not uncommon on the road) was, I felt, our biggest problem.

[TMan]

Yes, I went to the game last night. MSU has fast guards that are left alone once the outlet pass is made. We have lazy wing players that have no idea how to fill a lane to complete the fast break. Suton is soft and cannot play a post up game, and he is the strongest of the big men. Roe will be a player as will Lucious and Thornton.
Morgan continues to read his own press and is becoming a spoiled whiner. One bad call and Izzo needs to take him out of the game until he can get over himself. I bleed green and have been so disappointed in the lazy play the past few years. There never seems to be a leader despite going 12 deep. We will win many games because there is sooo much talent, just no heart. Sparty plays to the level of competition, unlike the premier teams that will occasionally have a bad outing.
This team is the deepest I’ve seen since 1999/2000, but someone needs to run this team, Izzo can’t coach and play. I hope this was a wakeup call, but it may not have been. IPFW was missing the best player and that may have been the difference. Give Coach Fife credit for inspired play from a lower level D-1 team and to Coach Izzo for pulling off the win...

[calchris]

Heh dude from the west coast. The problem with pointing out grammar mistakes is you set yourself up as a target. It's particple not participal.

[holtram]

You're joking, right calchris?? It's "participle" not "particple". (Probably a finger-check)

[B. White]

I've given up on Marquis Gray... once and for all. I agree with other comments in this post too, about Suton being too soft, although he seems to step it up in NCAA tourney games. Go figure. This will be another 12-6 Big Ten record for MSU, unless they can step it up... they won't win many Big Ten road games otherwise, just like the last 3 years... it's ashame with all the talent, that it still seems to be a mentally fragile situation. Not sure what else Izzo can do with these guys... hope they proved me wrong this season.

We'll find out A LOT about this team in Orlando and the UNC game at Ford Field on Dec. 3rd. That's for sure!

[docspeed23]

Yes i was at the ipfw game. I live here in ft. wayne and its the only way i was going to see the boys play. It was UGLY in the first half, and seeing Tom that mad in person, WOW, sure am glad i didn't have to go to practice today. Take noyhing away from IPFW they played hard, up till ten minutes left, then they started to fade. If this doesn't light a fire uder the boys a##, nothing will. They couldn't hit a shot, and BOTTS was nailing three's from WAY downtown. I think the boys were too cocky, hopefully they just learned a hard lesson.

[big al]

What in the world is going on? Is there not a separate blog where the grammar geeks can debate participles?

MSU looked poor in this game. I'm hoping the team can gel before we play North Carolina. We have to involve our big men more.

[Matthew]

And if our struggles weren't enough . . . now we have to listen to over-arrogant U of M fans after a stunning upset of UCLA! Lord help us all!

[max8700]

Watch out Sparty!! U-M eyes their first final four in 17 years!

The passing of the torch for basketball in the state of Michigan has begun!!!