In the past decade, no teams have defined the Big Ten more proudly and resolutely than Michigan State and Illinois. A National Championship and numerous Final Fours are testaments to their stature. Led by two coaches cut from the same woolen cloth, both having been nurtured and assuredly berated for years at the berth of Big Ten legends (Tom Izzo with the great Jud Heathcote and Bruce Weber with icon Gene Keady), each leader has molded teams reflective of their basketball passions. Izzo cherishes defense, rebounding, execution, and above all toughness. Weber preaches defense, a precise motion offense, and determination. In what qualifies as a reloading year, MSU and Illinois have struggled through the replacement of long time starters and various injuries to key players to find rhythm on offense and consistent effort.
Spartans, Looking Good
Through 20 games, it’s Izzo’s Spartans who have persevered and have subtly positioned themselves for not only a run to the NCAAs but, more significantly, the Big Ten Title. With a showdown looming in Columbus this Saturday, the 16-4 Spartans once again look like the Spartans. While it’s debatable, if numbers can even partially reflect the nuance of what happens during the course of a game, possession by possession, consider this: among other gaudy team statistics, the Spartans are 1st in scoring defense at 56 points a game; 1st in field goal defense; 1st in rebounding offense; 1st in rebounding defense; 2nd in assists, field goal offense, three point defense and three point offense. Perhaps lost in the ballyhoo of Ohio State and Wisconsin, the Spartans aren’t so subtle after all.
After thoroughly pounding Purdue 91-64 on Saturday, it’s obvious Tom Izzo utilized the week of practice following the comeback win against Illinois to reiterate the meaning of Spartan basketball on his pupils. Led by the most dramatically improved player in the league, Drew Neitzel, the Spartans were efficient and tenacious. Read more about the evolution of Neitzel here. Thus far, however, the defining 20 minutes of Spartan basketball is the second half of the Illinois game on January 14. Confronted with a 34-23 halftime hole, Izzo served notice he would not be humiliated in the Breslin Center. The Spartans came out of the locker room with intensity and focus. The Illini were not prepared to match the onslaught on defensive pressure and quickly succumbed with numerous turnovers in the backcourt and quick possessions that reflected the panic of playing on the road. As it has for years in East Lansing, defensive effort fueled the victory.
While Neitzel has indeed been the glue holding an injured team together, the keys to the re-emergence are Raymar Morgan and Goran Suton. In a league replete with outstanding freshman, from Tyler Smith at Iowa to Michael Conley at Ohio State, Morgan is a great talent with the potential to be the best of the bunch. With Morgan as a legitimate second offensive option to Neitzel, he’s the answer to the scoring lapses that have plagued the Spartans this season. As for Suton, he’s always flashed offensive skills but an inability to finish has stymied his growth. Now, as the Big Ten rolls along in earnest, Suton is ripping some cord and starting to look like Kevin McCale light. And we’re not even mentioning the major contributions of Marquise Gray, Maurice Jospeh or Travis Walton.
So, as February approaches, the sign is clear: the Spartans remain laden with aptitude on the bench and talent on the court, maturing every game, an efficacious combination.
Orange Out in Champaign
Unlike East Lansing, the days are shorter this year in Champaign. Facing the Eric Gordon grudge match tonight in Assembly Hall, Illinois needs to beat Kelvin Sampson’s Hooisers if any hope remains of salvaging a bitter January. Although 3 of their last 4 losses are to Ohio State, Michigan State and Wisconsin, Illinois is teetering at 14-7 overall. To garner an invite to the NCAAs, the Illini needs to lean heavily on the acumen of its coach and collect 7 wins in the next 10 games. While the balance of the schedule is favorable, two tilts with Northwestern and 1 with the Gophers, there is little margin for error.
No doubt, losing to Michigan State stings, especially after building a nice lead. On the proverbial bright side of the road they withstood a fierce attack from a desperate Spartan team and rather than collapse under the pressure of losing a lead, they collected themselves and fought to the end. Many teams, one residing in Ann Arbor for example, would have wilted , the result being a 25 point loss. The loss against the Michigan State, while reflective of the offensive problems of prolonged scoring droughts, demonstrated the character of the Illini, they refused to quit. Although heartened by a competitive loss to the Spartans in the Breslin Center, Illinois finds itself struggling to find an identity and a leader.
Unlike versions of the Illini in years past, this season’s model is weak in the backcourt, lacking a true point guard. If he would accept it, Chester Frazier is better suited to a role similar to MSU’s Travis Walton (ball control and defense) rather than a scorer. While courageously playing hurt, Frazier needs to continue to develop ball control and game management skills for the Illini to succeed. See the last two minutes of the game against a well-coached Sean Miller Xavier team for an example.
Illini Needs Randle
Of the players injured, including Jamar Smith and Chester Frazier, Brian Randle’s slow recovery from groin/abdominal surgey has highlighted the fact that he is the cog that makes the Illini churn. When healthy Randle is the team’s best player, but he’s not healthy. Following a strong showing against Iowa, Randle has faded in three straight games, becoming passive on defense and tenative on offense. If he remains hesitant and injured, the Illini will have difficulty winning 7 games.
Heading into tonight’s IU game, one disturbing Illinois tendency is clear: the Illini take far too many three pointers (the most in the Big Ten) while Indiana leads the Conference in three point defense. For Illinois, too many three pointers taken results in long droughts of scoring, which equates to big deficits, which leads to more three pointers. Despite the sharpshooter fantasies of McBride, Smith, Meacham and even Warren Carter, the strength of this team is its depth up front. Even without a healthy Randle, victory in Assembly Hall starts with sustained defensive effort and the exploitation of their size against a small IU team. I’m reluctant to think we’ve overestimated Illinois or Weber’s ability to impart his wisdom on his charges, but all will be discovered soon enough.
Despite its struggles, Illinois remains talented and graced with a great coach. Entering the most critical stretch of their season, it is incumbent upon Weber to foster and maintain the team’s self-confidence while he eaks out wins, one at a time. Although the Illini still seem to be recovering from a plethora of sprains and bruises, I have yet to hear Weber offer the injuries as an excuse. The only thing keeping Illinois from capsizing on account of senior attrition and injuries is the weight of Weber as the Illini’s ballast.
Oh yea, big game tonight in Champaign. You know Bruce Weber wants this one.
[…] Well-traveled Lon Kruger and his UNLV Runnin’ Rebels are all that stands between Bo Ryan and the Wisconsin Badgers’ fourth Sweet Sixteen in the last eight years. This afternoon in the United Center, UNLV will need to overcome the masses of red clad Wisconsin fans singing and dancing along with Bucky Badger. They’ll also need to overcome Wisconsin’s sense of purpose. On the Ropes Fresh off a dispiriting performance in the Big Ten Tournament Championship to Ohio State one week ago, a season’s worth of respect and victories, as well as their own expectations, nearly went for naught on Friday afternoon for the Wisconsin Badgers. In its home away from home on 1901 West Madison, the Badgers were on the First Round NCAA ropes. But, having misfired on 21 of their first 24 shots, the Badgers did not lose their composure when confronted with adversity. Finding strength in each other and demonstrating well-earned confidence in their ballast and coach, the Badgers responded to an 18 point deficit by fighting, clawing and shooting their way back. Through it all they stayed within themselves and the Bo Ryan’s Wisconsin Swing system. Unlike Ohio State, which needed a last second shot by Ron Lewis and one large missed shove to the chest by Greg Oden, the Badgers outscored Texas Corpus Christi by 31 points over the last 25 minutes. Adversity confronted, faith resolved, lesson learned. […]
Left by Hoopraker · Hambone Ryan and the Vagabond on March 18th, 2007