Someone sell me on Michigan State...

[YaySports]

Although i do think they belong in the top 10-12 im not sold on Michigan State being a top team. They have a star player and a group of decent role players. Can someone convince me theyre a top team? Its early, but to me they strike me as a team who you shut down one player and you win.

 

[UKWildcats#8]

Why not...See UCONN in 2011. They can definitely win the title with one stud and solid role players.

 

[wcc31]

Watching college basketball this year and all the years since Izzo started coaching them is probably a good start.

 

[kyjeff1]

You must not have watched them play against KU or Providence. They are better than they were last year and even though they lost a couple players, good players, they are deeper.
They make very few mistakes and they can shoot. Their main ingredient is rebounding. They crash the glass hard. They are easily one of the 3 best teams in the country.
The weird part is they ususlly start out slow and drop some games they shouldn't but that's not the case this year. They are blowing everyone out.
It'll be interesting to see if they can sustain it.

 

[ukfan79]

I think they are a good team. If you asked me how good they were in the first 30 minutes of their game against Kansas.....which I was at and pulling hard for Sparty....I would have said they are garbage and probably an 8/9 seed type team.

But watching them now they are very good. And they are all feeding off of Valentine's excellent play. I still think they lose 5-6 games in the B1G though, but they'll still challenge for a Top 2 seed....maybe a 1 still depending on how things shake out.

 

[YaySports]

Why not...See UCONN in 2011. They can definitely win the title with one stud and solid role players.

This was the only logic i could think of as well. I watched about half of the game vs Kansas, probably should have watched it all in hindsight.

 

[Wildcat-in-STL]

1. Every team has tried to shut down Valentine. Guess what.... its not working. Its why he's the massive front runner for POY.

2. 51% fg .... 41% from 3pt range. 72% from FT line. 44 rpg and 24 assists per game 12 turnovers per game for a 2 to 1 assist to turnover ratio. This is them as a team. And they've played a good schedule so far.

Before last year, you'd look at Golden State and say... "convince me they're a top team, I'm not buying it" Now you automatically think they'll be competing in the finals.

 

[Smashcat]

Although i do think they belong in the top 10-12 im not sold on Michigan State being a top team. They have a star player and a group of decent role players. Can someone convince me theyre a top team? Its early, but to me they strike me as a team who you shut down one player and you win.

Routed by Duke in the FF. Would agree its hard to see them taking it all a year later not returning the same team.

 

[caneintally]

You must not have watched them play against KU or Providence. They are better than they were last year and even though they lost a couple players, good players, they are deeper.
They make very few mistakes and they can shoot. Their main ingredient is rebounding. They crash the glass hard. They are easily one of the 3 best teams in the country.
The weird part is they ususlly start out slow and drop some games they shouldn't but that's not the case this year. They are blowing everyone out.
It'll be interesting to see if they can sustain it.

This . They are the 3rd best team I have seen with my eyes ( Us and UNC w/ Paige being the 2 better)

 

[Wall2Boogie]

Yeah, I don't care if they are ranked 150. Michigan state is always great. Especially with izzo at the helm. That guy can take a bunch of 3 star players and put them with 1 5 star and win 30 games easy. The other team that kills us is uconn. Now that Calhoun isn't there anymore we have a better shot at winning

 

[CatChow]

Denzel Valentine.

 

[St.PatterSoN-54-]

If you wanna crown em, go ahead and crown their ass......

Sincerely,

Dennis Green

 

[gright]

Kansas led them the whole game that played and then let them catch up at the end. I think Kansas was the better team although they lost. Of course now Kansas has Diallo.

 

[YaySports]

I didnt watch the providence game but i assume Kris Dunn checked him. I saw the box score though and it seems he did a good job defending Valentine % wise. (Dunn was my favorite player in the 2012 class, really wish Cal woulda went after him and spared us harrow).

 

[Blue Bigfoot]

Although i do think they belong in the top 10-12 im not sold on Michigan State being a top team. They have a star player and a group of decent role players. Can someone convince me theyre a top team? Its early, but to me they strike me as a team who you shut down one player and you win.

I agree. I've heard a lot of hype, but outside of Valentine they look well coached, but very pedestrian.

 

[SilentsAreGolden]

Hard to sell so far. 12:50 to go in first half and they have 2 pts.

 

[ukfan79]

Izzo needs to quit yelling at the officials. His team is playing like doo doo.

He just yelled "what the f*** is going on! that wasn't a travel!' Sorry Tom it clearly was a travel.

 

[YaySports]

Izzo needs to quit yelling at the officials. His team is playing like doo doo.

He just yelled "what the f*** is going on! that wasn't a travel!' Sorry Tom it clearly was a travel.

didnt think it was a travel. 2 steps.

 

[SilentsAreGolden]

And people thought we were rusty the other night. MSU is stinking the joint up. I still think they will win. Izzo is a master at coming back in the second half.

 

[CatsIndy2010]

I dont think we'll get a good idea of how good mich. st. is until the second half...

Right now UofL looks better, but Izzo can be the difference in this game. We'll just see.

 

[runt#69]

I'll at least try to sell you on Michigan State in this game tonight with the dirty birdz. All those ones' will stop fallin' and then it'll be drought city on a cold, cold night in East Lansing.

Hope the bridz tongues don't get stuck on that ice cold pole when Valentine decides to take over. Egyptian or no, it's gonna' be a long night after this early dirty birdz lead gets overtaken.

Matter of time.

As for the season, well ... MSU always seems to have it come tournament time. Gotta give Izzo credit where credit is due. The rest of college basketball's overall strength doesn't look to me like it would be insurmountable for Izzo & the Spartans to nab a #1 seed and go deep in the tourney.

We shall see....

 

[YaySports]

i feel like freedom of movement emphasis has gone out the window this game

 

[Bluest Member]

Although i do think they belong in the top 10-12 im not sold on Michigan State being a top team. They have a star player and a group of decent role players. Can someone convince me theyre a top team? Its early, but to me they strike me as a team who you shut down one player and you win.

From what I'm seeing they suck,I don't know how they beat Kansas,but if Mich St is better than Kansas,then Kansas sucks royally.
Little Brothel is not impressive and makes Sparty look like Sucky

 

[ukfan79]

i feel like freedom of movement emphasis has gone out the window this game

It's two masters of hack and grab....Three Stacks and Izzo

 

[Bluest Member]

i feel like freedom of movement emphasis has gone out the window this game

Sure not calling it on UL

 

[SilentsAreGolden]

Valentine has shot 2 air-ball 3s so far.

 

[SilentsAreGolden]

Still impressive, but I wonder how many of those 120 non-conference home wins were against ranked teams?

 

[zannmann]

Valentine is really good.....
Um..
Uh...
Did I mention Valentine is really good.

 

[kyjeff1]

Seems like nobody besides Valentine for MSU wants to shoot the ball. They turn down lots of easy looks.
Izzo is the master at hiding guys that are less talented. I don't know how he does it but it seems to me that every year all you have to do is shut down 2 guys and you will beat MSU but very few teams end up accomplishing that.

 

[kentucky_wildcat_#1]

Well they do have one of the best players in college basketball in Valentine. That kid is a triple double waiting to happen every game of the season. When you have a player as good as that, it eventually helps open everything else on the court up. When Izzo teams play like this at the beginning of every year, people seem to freak out and think they are pretenders. When the tourney starts and Izzo and the Spartans are in the final four, it seems like so many are just shocked about it. This happens year after year. It's no accident. When you lose a regular season game to some team you should never lose to, so many people freak out and give up on that team. Winning and losing games this early in the year means nothing. When Feb comes around, Izzo will have the Spartans playing as good as every school out there and when the tourney starts, Izzo will have the Spartans playing during the elite 8 and better.

 

[Untouchables22]

Basketball is all about matchups....Wisconsin was the one team last year that had a matchup advantage on us. Michigan State would be a really good matchup for us. A healthy Alex is the PERFECT defender for Valentine. However a couple of teams like Maryland, North Carolina, and Purdue would provide matchup problems with us with multiple post players that are big and offensively gifted. You have to have two to give us problems and thankfully offensively gifted post players are like diamonds in modern college basketball very rare.