UNC beat the Michigan State Spartans down by 35 on Wednesday.

Not only did lightning quick (tell that to Ty Lawson) sophomore guard Kalin Lucas struggle, virtually no points came from Michigan State’s frontline, and to make matters worse, the Ford Field crowd had the intensity of a mid-August Royals crowd at Kauffman Stadium.

Spartans Weblog author kj was actually at the drubbing,

…the environment at Ford Field didn’t help. The sparse crowd (relative to the size of the arena) never gave the team any kind of emotional lift. At one point in the second half, the crowd gave a Bronx cheer after a made field goal–something I’ve never witnessed in my years of attending MSU basketball games.

So we’ll give the team a gigantic pass on the final twenty minutes of the game.

Watching the Spartans from time to time so far this season, I get the feeling this team is missing one ingredient. I believe that one ingredient is a healthy and explosive Delvon Roe. Once he gets back that extra lift he had prior to the knee surgery, look out. He’s currently averaging 5.5 rebs/gm and 1.2 blk/gm. He’s shown some flashes. He has a high basketball IQ.

Unfortunately for State fans Delvon won’t be back at full strength until next season. Wait, actually that’s a great thing.

Just think about next season …

Jr. Kalin Lucas
Jr. Chris Allen
Jr. Durrell Summers
Sr. Raymar Morgan (iffy)
So. Delvon Roe
So. Korie Lucious
So. Draymond Green

Not even counting the couple solid freshmen coming in.

I know I know, it’s not always about next season. Predictable trap everyone gets sucked into at certain times.

But next season does look good for Sparty.

Sunday, October 26 was Big Ten Media Day.

No surprises on the top three picks (Big Ten only releases top three teams). For 1-11, click here.

2008-09 Top Three Preseason Picks

Team, 2007-08 Final Records (Finish)
1. Purdue 25-9, 15-3 Big Ten (2nd)

2. Michigan State 27-9, 12-6 Big Ten (4th)

3. Wisconsin 31-5, 16-2 Big Ten (1st)

No B.J. Mullens? Blame the media. Or sanity.

2008-09 Big Ten Preseason All-Conference Team

Player, 2007-08 Final Stats
Manny Harris, MICH, So., G 16.1 ppg, 4.2 rpg

Raymar Morgan, MSU, Jr., F 14.0 ppg, 6.1 rpg

Robbie Hummel, PUR, So., F 11.4 ppg, 6.1 rpg

E’Twaun Moore, PUR, So., G 12.9 ppg, 3.9 rpg

Marcus Landry, WIS, Sr., F 10.8 ppg, 5.4 rpg

I’m not positive on if this is a good thing.

Robbie Hummel as the best player in the conference…

Not a good thing.

Please Raymar Morgan, Manny Harris, E’Twaun Moore or hell, even B.J. Mullens, show everyone that this conference is really not as weak as it looks right now.

2008-09 Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year
Robbie Hummel, PUR

Oh, Robbie will probably have a tremendous season and make me look anything but informed.

Ha.

Some Big Ten Media Day Quotes

Tom Crean (Indiana)

On taking on a unique challenge:
“It’s just the way it worked out. In a situation where there was really no choice, there have been no regrets in any area. From taking the job or the decisions that were made, we just have to move forward. It’s not our players’, coaches’, administrators’ or fans’ fault. It just happened, so we have to deal with it.”

Todd Lickliter (Iowa)

On goals to make NCAA tournament:
“I am not going to sell anybody short, I just don’t believe in it. People say it’s a process, but what does that mean? For some people it may be a process of a day, for others a month. We are going to compete this year and I expect us to be successful. I certainly would not want to sell my guys short and not give them every opportunity. I have never gone into a situation thinking that we are not going to win. I go into every situation thinking that we will be successful. You have to do it that way. The last time Iowa tied for the Big Ten title was in ‘79, but a couple of years ago they were right there. I don’t think anybody is happy with where we are at right now, but I am proud of the things that have been accomplished. I think winning Big Ten Championships is incredibly demanding. It is a great league. We know it can be done and that is what we are shooting for.”

John Beilein (Michigan)

On practice:
“There is an amount of efficiency you can run a practice with that will hopefully transcend to games. I have a checklist of around 100 things that we are trying to do before the first game. Last year we had about 28 down pretty well before the first game. Your first year you are virtually putting in out of bounds plays the day of the first game sometimes. If you coach the only way I know how, which is fundamentally at first. ”

Tom Izzo (Michigan State)

On the emerging leadership of Kalin Lucas:
“I am surprised, but excited because that’s one of the things we really harped on last year. At the end of the year we really talked about it, that if he wants to take another step, he’s got to do a better job of taking other people with him. I think it helped him to go to the Nike camp this year and spend some time there with some of the best point guards in the country, listen to different coaches. It’s always good to get input from other coaches, media members, all the people that talk to him there. I just think he’s done a great job. You have to trust the player and the player has to trust you. I’m starting to feel that we’re getting that trust, that he understands if I’m not happy about something, it’s for him not against him.”

Matt Painter (Purdue)

On the chemistry of the team and whether Purdue has a “best player”:
“We have guys that are all-conference. We have guys that were first-team, second-team, third-team. And Keaton Grant was honorable mention, but he was our team MVP. You can’t really pick one over the other. And Robbie Hummel was Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year, but I don’t know if he’s the best player on the team. Now, I’m not saying he’s not, but you can come to our practice and he might look like the best player on the team on Monday, but on Tuesday Keaton Grant will look like the best player. On Wednesday E’Twaun Moore will look like the best player on the team, on Thursday Chris Kramer will look like the best player on the team. So I think that’s a very good problem to have. I think the strength of our team lies in our balance and our unselfishness. I couldn’t even tell you who the best player on the team is. That’s something that varies from game to game, practice to practice. So it’s not something I really worry about. As a coach that’s the least of your concerns. You want your guys to be unselfish and learn to play together. A lot of other people want to establish who’s on first team, who’s on second team, who’s on third team. We just want to win, so those other things kind of get thrown out of the window.”

Bill Carmody (Northwestern)

On the team learning how to win:
“I think a lot of it has to do with the talent level and your preparation. We haven’t gotten to that point where we say, ‘OK, we’ve got to win this big one.’ We’ll see as we go. I just think that the talent level is bigger and it’s deeper. Our rotation could be nine or 10 this year and I’m like a seven-guy rotation usually. There’s not that much of our drop off. Our scrimmages of our first- and second-teams are very close all the time. That’s a good sign.”

Bigten.cstv.com

The top freshman poll is over three months young and 52,000 votes have been cast.

Hold it– 52… 52.

Nix that.

52 votes have been cast and 22 of the votes went to MSU’s Delvon Roe.

I think this polling thing is getting to Delvon’s head a bit.

Newscom

Thinking big: MSU freshman Delvon Roe believes the Spartans will national title contenders in his first season. “I think we can go all the way. We have everything in place - size, talent, athleticism,” he said.

source

Hold it right there…

Will they be able to post a solid enough record to warrant a top two or three seed in the tourney?

MSU’s schedule might be the “toughest” one yet, so says Tom Izzo.

Nov. 19- IPFW away
Nov. 27- Maryland in Orlando (Old Spice Classic)
Nov. 28- Gonzaga/Oklahoma St.
Nov. 30- Tennessee/Georgetown/ Wichita St.
Dec. 3- UNC in Detroit
Dec. 13- Alcorn St. home
Dec. 20- Texas in Houston
Dec. 27- Oakland in Detroit
Jan.10- Kansas home

Delvon Roe talks the talk, but can he walk the walk?

Izzo isn’t ready to make predictions on what Roe will give MSU on the court as a freshman. He has a good idea, though, what Roe will give off the court.
Moments after MSU’s season-ending 92-74 loss to Memphis, Roe sent text messages to every one of his future teammates, telling them to stay positive and start thinking about next season.
“I mean, who does that?” Izzo said. “They say leaders aren’t made, they’re born, and I think he might be one of those guys. I think he can lead for us right away.”

source

If Raymar Morgan doesn’t have an all conference type of season, it might not matter. Unless your name is Michael Beasley or Derrick Rose, leave the leading up to the experienced guys.

New poll is up, please vote.

The Spartans are again wickedly athletic, versatile, deep and, yep, a likely good tease as well.

Losing Drew Neitzel won’t be as catastrophic for the Spartans as it would be for quite a few other quality teams in the country. Izzo had some depth to work with last year and that allowed fellow guard Kalin Lucas, now a sophomore, to really gain a wealth of experience. As one of the fastest players in the country, Kalin often does not need anyone to accompany him on a fast break. He’s an up tempo player of the A grade variety. He can also shoot a little too (36% 3pt). Crafty defensive veteran Travis Walton also returns, as does sharp shooter Chris Allen and athletic do it all wing Durrell Summers. All of those guys finish in transition and bring intangibles to the table that every really good team must have.

Wing/forward Raymar Morgan is the most polished player on the team. He will certainly be asked to add to his 14ppg total of last year. If he can be a legitimate threat from downtown (just 33 attempts last season), there’s not much Raymar can’t do on offense. He’s solid. He needs to be more spectacular.

The obvious strength of the Spartans is the backcourt and wing position. It might be under the radar, but it’s budding for sure.

But what about the front court?

Don’t count on Tom Herzog or Idong Ibok to sufficiently replace departed senior Drew Naymick. Let’s not over blow Drew’s importance. Firstly, it took the once offensively challenged Naymick about 7 years to contribute and while it’s important to give credit where credit is due (Drew came a long way in that time and really played like a competent Big Ten big man his last two seasons), the Spartans will miss his defensive presence, but not much else. They can do better. But the question remains, can Gray, Ibok, and Herzog actually do it?

The upside on Herzog seems high still, but similar expectations were put on Marquise Gray, a 5 star recruit four years ago.

Gray has been a bust to say the least.

Gray has all the athletic attributes a player needs, but he doesn’t seem to yet be able to grasp Izzo’s concepts. He’ll have his shining moments for sure, although Izzo will likely remember the head scratching-hair pulling moments he’s endured because of Gray the most.

Izzo only a minute away from taking large, thick chunks of hair out his skull while pleading with Marquise Gray on why he fouled the other team 60 feet from the hoop

Herzog, if he has gained any more weight, should be good for more than 13 games at 5 minutes a pop. He has the reputation of being somewhat competent on the block, whereas Gray and Ibok do not, but Herzog does not possess the strength to stay on the block at this level yet. It’s apparent, just look at the numbers, Ibok played in 13 more games and gives you nothing on offense. The future sure looks shaky for Herzog.

Video from a couple of years ago-

As far as Ibok is concerned, heck, he’s on the books for just one more year. Ibok has shown an inconsistent work ethic and furthermore has instilled little to no confidence into Izzo. Ibok is not what you call a basketball player yet. He’s a project still in the developmental stage. But better yet, he already has his degree, so, he has something a lot of college basketball players will never obtain.

It’s imperative for the bench bigs to overachieve, if you will, since it’s a foregone conclusion that Goran Suton will look like Bill Walton one play and then an immobile Christian Laettner the next six.

Put Suton down for 10 and 8 and be done with it. Throw it aside. He is what he is. Serviceable.

Delvon Roe, while a stud in my view, may come along slower than expected because of his injury difficulties. But soon enough he should be starting along with Morgan and Suton up front. Those 3 complement each other very nicely. You got some flash and sizzle in there, some inside-outside flavor and some quality post action to count on as well.

Overall the team, on a national level, mind you, might not be considered top 5 caliber, but I see them as a formidable top 5 team. The pieces are in place to become elite, but when push comes to shove, the impressing play they will exude in the regular season will come to a sudden halt somewhere in the 2nd or 3rd round of the tourney.

Unless freshman Draymond Green or junior Isaiah Dahlman, two, as of now, unlikely rotational players, have something in store to add to this team, like something significant, then the Spartans will be about one impact player short of a final four caliber team.

Thinking back a little, I’m tempted to proclaim that this might be the year the Spartans get back to that elite level. It would be the perfect year to do so.

Actually, kidding aside, it would be perfect this year.

The Final Four is in Michigan– Ford Field.

Think the Spartans wouldn’t be the favorites?

Ha.

I’d take em.

Drew Nietzel era over-

Kalin Lucas, Raymar Morgan, Goran Suton, Chris Allen and Delvon Roe might be the most solid starting five in the nation outside of UNC.

Kalin Lucas is so fast that rabid Spartan fans have flooded SpartanTailgate.com with Usain Bolt-Kalin Lucas comparisons.

But as one quick poster pointed out, who would be faster dribbling a ball?

Yeah Usain, try multi-tasking while running your little 100 and 200 meter jogs.

Kalin is maneuvering his way around folks, laying it in around and over guys six or more inches taller, all the while dribbling a basketball at full speed. One man fast break!