Over the years, the Maui Invitational has become known for many things: great scenery, a terrific atmosphere and excellent pre-season basketball, among others. However, Michigan State most certainly didn't expect competition from Chaminade to go along with their visit to the exotic locale, and that's certainly what they got last night. In scraping out a narrow 82-74 win over the Division II Silverswords, the Spartans advanced to face Conneticut, in the meantime getting a crystal-clear picture of what might happen if they overlook an opponent in similar fashion.
In playing to a halftime draw, Michigan State clearly struggled to get going. Nowhere were these issues more evident than on defense, where the Spartans were torched by 5'6" guard Steven Bennett, who scored 13 of Chaminade's 39 first-half points. Even after the break, Michigan State was unable to pull away, and at one point found themselves down by eight to the host, before going on an 11-0 run to take control of the contest.
Despite an underwhelming effort on the boards,(where the Spartans were outrebounded by three overall), MSU won thanks to stellar senior leadership. Although across the board they have much room for improvement, Coach Izzo should be encouraged with the play of senior point guard Kalin Lucas, who netted a career-high 28 points in carrying State. He'll be a huge part of the Spartans' success against UConn and throughout the season, but Izzo's players will need to first shore up their free-throw shooting (73.7% from behind the line), and ballhandling (13 giveaways versus 13 assists). With a short turnaround, the Spartans should come to play with their weak areas in mind, and I feel they'll get better against the Huskies.
Flying back across the country though, to this very campus, the Spartan football team finds themselves on the brink of at least a share of the Big Ten title, with an intriguing opponent before them. Penn State is 7-4 overall, with conference setbacks to Iowa and Ohio State, and a 20-point loss to an equally competitive and perplexing Illinois team (who surrendered 65 points to U-M and lost to 2-9 Minnesota in consecutive weeks). However, Michigan State has lost eight times in Happy Valley since the inception of the Land Grant Trophy, and recent trips haven't been so kind to the Spartans. In their last visit, they lost 49-18, in a game
that also had Big Ten title implications.
Nearly every current impact player remembers full well the agony of that outcome.That experience should provide tremendous motivation in itself, and with even more at stake, MSU should be ready for a four-quarter fistfight from the opening bell.
Looking around the world of professional basketball, certain teams are most definitely beginning to rise above the rest. Specifically, the Boston Celtics looked dominant in builiding a 26-point first-quarter cushion
over the eight-win Hawks last night, and at 10-4, they lead the race for the Eastern Conference's best record. If the Celtics continue to get double-figure scoring from four of their five starters (as they did in beating Atlanta by 23), they'll definitely be tough to stop. Outside of Boston though,the San Antonio Spurs sit atop the Western Conference, thanks to an 11-game winning streak in which they topped the century mark eight times. Although it's early in the season, the rate at which they've been winning games is impressive, and they'll certainly be at the forefront of the Western Conference playoff race in the coming months.
But, whether it be MSU basketball, Spartan football, or the world of professional sports, speculation and predictions are one thing. The results show themselves from baseline-to-baseline, and in between the stripes, every single day. That's what we as sports fans look forward to, and that's why they play the games.
--Beau
No comments:
Post a Comment