Assorted Things To Take From Michigan State Basketball's Media Day
by Pete Rossman on Oct 18, 2011 9:43 PM CDT
in Michigan State Spartans Basketball
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PrintMichigan State basketball's media day was supposed to be last week, but with the Tigers and the football game and the what have you, it was pushed back to today. Here's a few things we (the royal we) learned.
- Derrick Nix has once again reshaped his body. And it looks better than it did last season. Take a look at the picture above (Credit: @jeffrdillon), and realize any other words I have to say on the matter would be superfluous. In addition, Nix was weighed in front of the media; he came in at a svelte 268. Here's to him maintaining the loss throughout the season.
Lastly, there will be no beer in the locker room this year:
His Spartans will not play like strangers.
"I don’t think there is any question intangibles do play a major factor," Izzo said. "I’ve been studying the Lions. I’ve been studying the Tigers. … I’ve been studying the Red Sox and what happened to that locker room — hopefully beer and chicken is out of our locker room this year; we don’t plan on having any of that in there — but if you look at those things, it’s easy to see why chemistry is so important on a team, and why locker rooms are so important."
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That's right
Roe gets to keep his scholarship. Perhaps he took a medical hardship? That’s the only way I can see it working.
by Pete Rossman on Oct 18, 2011 10:09 PM CDT up reply actions
I was just thinking tha too
Maybe Ianni got Sherm’s big white guy scholly? I assume Wood got Luscious’s.
by MSUDersh on Oct 18, 2011 10:10 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions
He goes on medical hardship.
Gets to keep his schollie, but it doesn’t count against the team limit.
It’s the infamous “greyshirt”
"Everyone who drinks is not a poet. Maybe some of us drink because we're not poets." - Arthur Bach
Exactly. SEC football teams – especially one coached by a former EL resident – use the medical hardship exception to push players who did not live up to expectations out the door and bring in new potential victims recruits. There are lots of articles on it.
by SpartanBoiler on Oct 18, 2011 10:15 PM CDT up reply actions
Per Rexrode
Thornton on scholarship, Ianni got Anderson’s, no mention on Wood’s but I’m nearly certain it’s KL2’s.
If I did my math right, that mean’s Roe’s situation isn’t actually impacting anything – ie, no greyshirt. If that’s the case, wouldn’t that mean he could suit up for Senior Day?
B.Wood
Gee, I guess that means all the folks that conveniently forget to mention Brandon Wood in their previews of this team ( http://www.btpowerhouse.com/2011/10/16/2492270/michigan-state-preview ), and don’t count him as a factor in this team’s success get a dose of reality in the form of HE’S GONNA START! (Not gonna get consistent playing time my ass).
by Chitown Spartan on Oct 18, 2011 10:30 PM CDT reply actions
I'm guessing
Whatever regimen Vorkapich had him on would make P90x look like Sweatin to the Oldies.
"It was worth it. Every needle, every dose of medicine that I've taken. That's why you play the game. A chance to be on a Final Four team, a chance to win championships." Delvon Roe
by Ducking Delvon on Oct 19, 2011 8:14 AM CDT up reply actions
stoked for this season
proposal of a knickname for the trio: brandon, branden, brandan: “Killer B’s”
by TilltheBitterEnd on Oct 18, 2011 11:28 PM CDT reply actions
i want us to go really big...
Dayday at the point, Byrd at 2, Dawson at 3, Nix and Payne up front.
(Draymond guards the opposing 3)
That makes sense but
Wouldn’t the rest of the lineup’s rebounding prowess – Payne has the potential to be a monster, especially on the offensive boards, and Dawson is supposed to be the best rebounding prospect since, well, ever here – offset keeping DayDay out by the perimeter?
by MSUDersh on Oct 19, 2011 2:59 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions
I want to see him far more at the 4 than 3
Remember last year?
Tonight's going to be a good night.
by Spartalytical on Oct 19, 2011 5:42 PM CDT up reply actions
i dont mean like this lineup constantly, but more like a wildcat offense... just to get maybe guaranteed points for a couple possessions cause they are not ready.
draymond posts up a 6-1 190pnd point guard… what are they going to do? byrd’s on the perimeter to shoot threes if they double him or put a big man on him, dawson slashes, in case Draymond wants/needs to pass (right over the tiny PG), likely there is an open dunk. payne and nix stay off to the other side of draymond to set picks for dawson and get ready for the rebound (or if Dawson cant get free Nix picks Payne’s defender, Payne gets an alley-oop.) This isnt really anything revolutionary, but it is predicated on draymond being able to bully his defender (the point is if they put someone big on him one of the others has a small man he can bully/ shoot over)
by jonathan.onne on Oct 20, 2011 7:26 AM CDT up reply actions
I’ve been studying the Red Sox and what happened to that locker room — hopefully beer and chicken is out of our locker room this year
Was there beer in the room last year? OH NOEZ!
Yes - Lucious, Summers and Lucas
Lucious and his trees, Summers and his sulking, and Lucas not leading…
Wow, Nix looks great
I also read that Izzo said Payne has put on some good muscle and is more mature. With the loss of Roe it’ll be even more important that those guys are capable of stepping up.
Starting line-up
That’s what I always thought it would be. I expect Nix to beat Payne to start because of his experience, tools, and new fitness. If Payne can put enough together to best Nix with all the progress Derrick has made, that’s a GREAT sign about Payne’s development in the system.
"And how much are intangibles worth? 10%? 20%?" - kj@theonlycolors
I don't mind Nix starting....
Just not against North Carolina. I’d be much more confident matching up with Henson and Zeller with Green and Payne than with Green and Nix. Those two long, tall and athletic Tar Heel big men are a matchup nightmare and throwing Nix at them for the first 5 minutes of the game (which in a game like the Carrier Classic, might honestly decide the game) I not only think it isn’t the answer, I think it’s a mistake. Don’t get me wrong, Nix will play a key role in that game, I just don’t think it should be as a starter.
Payne’s a far better matchup with Henson or Zeller.
by LickSplickidy on Oct 20, 2011 9:58 PM CDT up reply actions
I can see your point
However, don’t short sell Nix’s lateral quickness. He was once able to hold DeShawn Sims to a standstill. I know Nix has defensive awareness, but I still need to see it from Payne.
by Pete Rossman on Oct 20, 2011 10:20 PM CDT up reply actions
That makes sense
Would hate to see a couple of quick fouls against him early when those two Heels come out running.
NSFW
Wow, Nix went from Mount Cody to, not Mount Cody. Here’s to hoping he keeps it off and yolks up like some guy named sullinger.
Still sad D Roe had to quit, but he’s having another surgery in December and I definitely get it. Kudos to him for the time and effort he can devote to acting which looks to be paying off. I wish him much success in the future, hope he stays away from TMZ.
by msuduster on Oct 19, 2011 8:23 AM CDT via mobile reply actions
Definitely the start of a new era
Even before Roe had to hang it up, this was going to be the beginning of a new era under Izzo (the post-Kalin/Durrell/Allen/Lucious era), but reading the stuff from media day really drives it home. Think of the completely unknown commodities or major question marks that we absolutely need to rely on in order to be successful this year:
Byrd, Gauna, Dawson, Trice, and Kearney have never played a minute of college basketball, but all will be expected to fill important roles varying from role player to starter. Wood has never played at MSU, but will be starting. Appling is making the jump from a role player to the primary ballhandler AND scorer. Nix is attempting to shed the inconsistent label, both in terms of his physical shape and performance, and be the main guy down low. Payne will also need to make a similar jump in playing time and contributions.
That’s a ton of unknowns, but for some reason I’m more excited to watch how it plays out than I have been in a while. It definitely helps when you’ve got a guy like Draymond as the unquestioned leader/alpha dog. Don’t think we’ve seen that since Cleaves, where your vocal/emotional leader is also your most important player.
"It was worth it. Every needle, every dose of medicine that I've taken. That's why you play the game. A chance to be on a Final Four team, a chance to win championships." Delvon Roe
I'm so with you
About being really excited for this season. And I love the fact that this team is, at least right now, completely off the national radar.
If Izzo can run out a team on which over half of the contributors have never played in EL and win like 22 – 25 regular season games, this could go down as one of his finest coaching performances yet.
Also, if you haven’t already, check out the video bios on the athletic website. They are great, and are getting me even more pumped for this year
Finally, I’m loving the Grinzel on Green series, he’s been putting up great football stuff, and this first hoops article is terrific too!
I think it's going to be a really solid basketball squad
22-25 wins should be the general expectation, as far as I’m concerned.
Absolutely
About being really excited for this season. And I love the fact that this team is, at least right now, completely off the national radar.
Starting off 0-2 could seal the deal on being off the radar too. I’m certainly not rooting for that, of course, but no one is looking at this team right now. Drop those first two, and they’re looking even further away.
Tonight's going to be a good night.
by Spartalytical on Oct 19, 2011 5:45 PM CDT up reply actions
Keenan Wetzel
I’ve seen a couple articles mentioning this guy as a RS Fresman on the MSU squad, I’ve never heard of this guy, is he just a walk on?
Wetzel
Apparently, he was going to be a preferred walk-on at Valpo. But doesn’t look like he ever played there. Would have been a freshman last year; listed as a RS freshman for MSU this season.
Not clear if it is has anything to do with Brandon Wood; I’d guess no based on minimal overlap (if any) in their time at Valpo. Maybe the kid ended up enrolling at MSU last year; seems like maybe there were a couple walk-ons last year not listed on the official roster.
FB page is here [creeepy]. Nice looking official MSU basketball photo.
Can’t hurt to have a 6’4" guard who can shoot the ball hanging around. (Having a 6’4" guard who could defend hanging around paid decent dividends the last two seasons.)
/obsessive online stalking
by KJ@theonlycolors on Oct 19, 2011 8:32 PM CDT up reply actions
A KJ sighting!!!
It’s official now.
You should do a guest posting every now and then during the season.
You could be TOC’s John Madden or something.
He retired but I hear him on Sirius every week during football season.
Still knows his stuff. Think about it.
"the game is out there, and it's play or get played. That simple" - Omar
I can only promise
that I will stay on top of the Keenan Wetzel situation throughout the season.
by KJ@theonlycolors on Oct 20, 2011 2:10 PM CDT up reply actions
Cue Lloyd Xmas
“So you’re saying there’s a chance”
"the game is out there, and it's play or get played. That simple" - Omar
Does Coach Izzo talk too much about the old guys
I listened to the PC yesterday and he seems to bring old players an awful lot. I can see how that might start to annoy players after awhile. It kind of annoys me and I’m not an 18-20 yr old trying to forge his own bball legacy. How many times can we have another Bell, Richardson or Peterson? Now Dawson is supposed to be the new Raymar? Really? I hope he’s the first Dawson and I’m sure that’s what he plans to be. And did he really use the phrase “Magic and Mateenish” when talking about Green? How silly. Green has shown himself to be unique in his own way and a Spartan legend in his own right. He doesn’t need to be anybody else.
It’s great to have past players that are considered legendary, they’re part of what makes the program what it is, but those guys aren’t on the team anymore. Lets make some new legends.
OK enough of “what grinds my gears” HT: Peter Griffin
There’s an actual game in 11 days…
Pete, you might try going with BJ, BK and BW for the Brando(e)(a)ns.
Oh, does anybody know if any of the ’12 commits were at MM on Friday?
"the game is out there, and it's play or get played. That simple" - Omar
Good point
That would annoy me too. I’m assuming he just does it to give the media and public a frame of reference as to the style of play a particular player has, and hopefully the current roster doesn’t take offense to it. Can’t wait for the aircraft carrier game!!
Flintstone Shadow
I think spartyball hits on a decent point, which I’ve wondered in the past, and that is whether the original Flintstone-era teams have actually cast too large a shadow for the guys that have come after them. I’ve gotten the sense over the years that every other team since 2001 (when Bell/Hutson/J-Rich left) has felt this pressure to live up to and replicate not only the success of those teams, but to have the same mindset and style. No matter what they do, they’re always being measured against them. This is some obvious armchair psychology, and I have no idea whether it impacted any of the teams, but the constant references to the past is an interesting observation.
"It was worth it. Every needle, every dose of medicine that I've taken. That's why you play the game. A chance to be on a Final Four team, a chance to win championships." Delvon Roe
by Ducking Delvon on Oct 19, 2011 2:12 PM CDT up reply actions
I agree with the sentiment
Michigan State’s good enough to not have to try to compare itself to past players. I’d prefer a whole lot less Mateen, Magic, and Bell references and a whole lot more generic ‘his game is growing’ and ’he’s working hard to get better every day’ lines fed to the media.
Tough to say
But I know I’d love to be compared to Magic or Mateen. What greater compliment than to be compared to the best to ever take the court in a Spartan uniform?
Because everyone else should get a blank slate and a fair shake at being the best *they* themselves can be
It’s a situation akin to the Detroit RB position. What are the odds another player within shouting distance of Barry Sanders lines up at tailback for the Lions?
How about the amount of times people in the media compare players to Barry, or talk about the things Barry could do that they can’t. It isn’t an apt comparison, and it’s not fair to the players.
I always sort of saw it as
Izzo referring to the tradition of the program, kind of tying one class to the next (or the past).
As far as comparisons to individual players, I think they can go a number of ways – comparing players by skill set, leadership, program impact, etc. For example, Day-Day (aka “Tragic Johnson”) is a very versatile player skillwise like Magic, a great floor & locker room leader like Mateen, and hopefully will leave the program with the same type of impactful legacy as those two – as a champion.
I'm way more interested in the present and future
I look forward to seeing how these kids play and how they forge their own identity. It doesn’t matter who they play like or remind somebody of. The same is true for future Spartans.
I almost wish it was OK to talk about uncommitted prospects to give us insight into what kind of kids they’re recruiting and how he’s trying to shape future rosters. I’d be way more interested in that than hearing the same ole comparisons and names from the past.
Speaking of the future, according to Comparoni there were a lot of ‘13 and ’14 recruits on campus for MM and The Game. Most important were D Jack, JY, Cliff Alexander and Drake(Tell Meeeeee what’s really…) oh, not that Drake.
Couldn’t have had a better outcome in terms of entertaining the youngins.
And speaking of the present, thank goodness for Coach Fife Dog telling Austin he needs to extend his range. His sole purpose when on the floor should be to launch 22 footers or at least be a credible threat. No more 18 foot bricks please.
"the game is out there, and it's play or get played. That simple" - Omar
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