Spartan Dominance Easy to Take For Granted in 39 Point Blowout of Florida Gulf Coast

Spartan Dominance Easy to Take For Granted in 39 Point Blowout of Florida Gulf Coast  If you weren’t careful on Friday night, you may have easily taken

Spartan Dominance Easy to Take For Granted in 39 Point Blowout of Florida Gulf Coast

 

If you weren’t careful on Friday night, you may have easily taken for granted the #2 rated team in the country, and their blowout of a Florida Gulf Coast team whom the final score didn’t tell the truth.

Even with the presence of the Spartan Nation's Chief Referee Ed Hightower the Spartans Were All Smiles! Photo Courtesy of Bill Marklevits

The Spartans won last night by 39 points (97-58), and the story was much bigger than the Spartans’ score. The weak link on this Spartan team is the big men and in the first regular season game, a freshman had a great night.

 

Derrick Nix, the young man we love to call a defensive tackle who plays basketball, went off on the Eagles for a double double in his first career game. Not to be outdone from the freshman, however, was the performance of potential All American and reigning Big Ten player of the year Kalin Lucas.

 

Lucas played only 25 minutes, but in that time he had a team high 21 points and a circus lay-up that would have made Jordan blush. Driving to the basket, Lucas went underneath the basket from the side and when the FGC defender altered what looked like an easy lay-up lane he threw it up behind his back for the score. He added the free throw for a three-point play that this superstar will be hard pressed to duplicate or better for his highlight reel that could be awfully impressive this season.

 

Draymond Green also dropped a double double in impressive fashion. Green was very vocal and is emerging on this team as a vocal leader. On more than one occasion he stood next to teammates shouting encouragement and correction, something that has to please Izzo.

 

Speaking of the usually vocal head coach, he sat for nearly the entire first 10 minutes as his athletic Spartans learned to play with each other. Because of injury the Spartans have had a very limited amount of time actually practicing together and his patience paid off.

 

Although not in sync early, the Spartans talent was hard to ignore. The only real question of the night was why when up by well over thirty with over six minutes in the game and Izzo bringing in subs did Izzo have Lucas still in the game?

 

I asked him and his answer showed how far ahead he thinks. “I was mad at my team frankly. They can’t stand and watch Kalin play, they have to play with him and I wanted them to do that.” A great example of how this future hall of famer thinks ahead.

 

Raymar Morgan did play, although his lack of any height on his jump shot was a quick sign that his ankle is far from well. After the game he told me that he was at about 70%, a figure that some in the program disagreed with. Izzo addressed the fact that he played sparingly later in the game by saying, “He didn’t hurt it anymore, it was precautionary.”

 

After the game I asked Raymar how healthy he expects to be when Gonzaga invades the Breslin on Tuesday and he told me, “90%.”

 

You can’t confuse this win with a Big Ten victory. You can, however, count it a great start to what could be a magical season and for win number one, it was a good game and a great start.