Garrett Jackson Gives You His Take on Where Spartan Basketball Stands after Michigan Tech!

Following their loss to Grand Valley State last week, the Michigan State Spartans turned in another sub par performance against Michigan Tech. ÂThe defense in

Following their loss to Grand Valley State last week, the Michigan State Spartans turned in another sub par performance against Michigan Tech.

Â
The defense in the first two games has been solid, but the offense has been horrendous. There are a few reasons for the sloppiness on the offensive end.Â

Â
One problem is that there is no cohesiveness between the players. I believe that can be contributed to the incorporation of the three freshmen. The freshmen have played pretty well, but it seems as if the veterans on the team will have to adjust to their talents and athleticism. The longer they play together, the more they will learn about each other and the way they play the game.

Â
The one problem that is extremely glaring is the shooting of Drew Neitzel. Neitzel hit a few jumpers in the second half, but overall his shot has not been dropping. I don’t expect this to last much longer though. Drew is too good of a player to let this continue. I think that Neitzel also has to realize that he doesn’t have to do as much this season, considering the firepower that Coach Izzo has added, and the possible breakout year for Raymar Morgan.Â

Â
The most important aspect of Michigan State’s half court offense is how crisp and efficiently they run their sets. Last night, they didn’t run their sets the way a Michigan State team typically does. The primary reason for that were the lackluster screens that the players were setting. Screens are an underrated aspect of basketball. A team that sets hard, solid screens will always be tough to defend. The Spartans would go to set a lazy screen, and release too early which allowed the defender to recover. I really can’t explain why this problem is happening considering the fact that the two main screeners, Drew Naymick and Goran Suton, are upperclassmen.

Â
The explosive fast break that we have been waiting for has been non existent, with the exception of the plays that Kalin Lucas made going coast to coast. It hurt not having Raymar Morgan and Marquise Gray to run the break, because both of them can bring athleticism to the power forward position.Â

Â
If you look at past Michigan State teams that featured an effective fast break, they all had big men that could run the floor. Andre Hutson, Antonio Smith, A.J. Granger, Al Anagonye, Paul Davis, and even Alan Anderson, who was undersized, were all guys that played power forward and center that could beat other big men up court on a consistent basis. Naymick and Suton don’t possess the athleticism that the aforementioned players have.

Â
I know that I am nitpicking. It was only an exhibition game, and the Spartans’ record is 0-0. I wouldn’t worry too much though. The team’s defense will allow them to win games until they build the offensive continuity that we expect them to have. I fully expect Coach Izzo to figure out which lineups work the best, and to have the Spartans playing up to their potential when Chicago State comes to East Lansing for the opener next week.