Your Weekly MSU Basketball Question and Answer Article

 

If motivated to prepare Draymond Green (Seen pictured above at the spring game) could be a very good football player. Photo courtesy of Starr Portice.

How is Nix coming with weight loss and conditioning over the summer?   I see him as a major key for this season, as he was for last season.  LAST season, he was a key that unlocked very little.  I’m hoping he has a great summer, and has a much larger impact with a much smaller girth THIS season. Jon Reed

Jon, Derrick is doing well. I was concerned about him personally with the loss of Sherman, but he is doing good. Derrick is a good kid. He was maligned last year when people said he had issues because of playing time. I said it then and have said it many times since and that is Derrick’s issues were not about playing time. I think he AND Izzo have a lot to prove this season when it comes to how Derrick plays and how Izzo handles him. That is one of the most interesting dynamics on this team.

 

Hondo, I heard Gary Harris on your radio show and as the process drags on do you think MSU will land him? Adam

Will MSU land Harris, Adam? I don’t know. I will tell you that I think there will be great surprise in the program if they don’t. At the end of the day there has been a lot of time, energy, and resources devoted to landing him and to put it in game vernacular it would be an upset (maybe not among the nation or media) inside the basketball program in my opinion if he doesn’t come to MSU.

 

Hondo, there has been a lot of talk about Kalin Lucas and whether or not he should have his jersey retired. What do you think? Cassie

This is a no brainer for me. YES! When you look at all he accomplished in his time as an entire body of work this is a definite. There are others whose jersey already hangs in the rafters who didn’t do what Kalin did so by that barometer it is a given.

Hondo, I got the privilege of hearing Kelly Byrd and Travis Trice, Sr. on your radio show. They sure seemed liked amazing men. I really enjoy how you include parents in your coverage. How big of an impact will their sons have this season? Preston

Thanks Preston. It was great to talk with Travis and Kelly. Both are great fathers and both are great guys. I think they both could be the newcomers of the year. Trice is perhaps the most underrated player Izzo has brought in to his program in a long time and Byrd is a lights out shooter. Both have great parents and are grounded young men. Should be fun to watch.

Hondo I was wondering with Draymond Green playing football a little this past spring, do you think he could play football and have success? Carrie

Carrie that is a great question and I can say for sure yes. If Draymond was motivated to get into and stay in football shape he could play and play at a high level. If motivated to prepare, Green is special and could do anything he wants. There is an old quote that I think was by John Wooden. It essentially is that the will to prepare to win is what it takes to be a winner. When Draymond is motivated to prepare, he can do anything.

Thanks for all of the great comments and email for the Friday column. If you aren’t aware, on Fridays I answer some of your email in a Q and A column about Spartan basketball. If you have a MSU basketball question you would like answered send me an email at SpartanNationMail@yahoo.com and please put in the subject line Basketball question.