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#3 Sparty +0.5 vs #2 tOSU (ov/un 127.5) Sat 4 CBS

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billmac91 said:
Crazy thing is, you could say that was arguably our worst offensive performance in our last 7-8 games, especially the second half. And we still beat a team that was thought to be a 1 seed just a few short weeks ago.

Obviously Aaron Craft has found another level of play, but I still give a ton of credit to Shannon Scott in what was a very difficult offensive game for him. Shannon continually finds ways to impact the game whether it be defensively, rebounding, and in general just creating a much better pace and spacing that Lenzelle Smith struggles with.

It's no coincidence our run has coincided with Shannon getting starters minutes at the expense of other wings. Kid probably played his worst game of the season, and still was critical to our success.

I like our tournament chances b/c of the pressure he and Craft create for the 30 minutes they get together.
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I agree with most of what you have stated but I also believe that having Craft in the game with Scott makes Scott a better player. He does not have to worry about all of the ballhandling but in a way that also benefits Craft.

I wouldn't take anything away from Smith just because of Scott because I believe they are completely two different players at this point in their careers and I think Matta expects different things out of each of them. I agree that Scott does quite a few things when he is on the court but I don't think that Matta wants Smith pushing the ball up the court like Shannon does so well. However, as you say, he makes things so much easier for the team when he's in the game as long as he is not shooting too much:wink:
 
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buckeyesin07;2315725; said:
Agreed. I think OSU is a 2, win or lose. However, I wouldn't be surprised with a 3.
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Look at our last six games. A 3 would be an outrage.

With this type of officiating being the Big Ten standard, our teams will get to the tournament and everyone will probably foul out.
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I would like to think the B1G powers that be asked the refs to do it in a way that prepares the teams for the tourney. But I don't get it. The B1G is already the most physical conference in the country. Everybody is clearly ready to play through contact, but you can't play this way and not get in foul trouble with other officials. You could argue Mix made the play on Craft because he was trying to find out where the limit was. Look at the mugging he got away with earlier. And the entire tourney has been called that way.

My worst nightmare is a weak ref from a non-physical conference who chalks up two quick ones on Craft before we get out of the blocks.
 
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LitlBuck;2315735; said:
I agree with most of what you have stated but I also believe that having Craft in the game with Scott makes Scott a better player. He does not have to worry about all of the ballhandling but in a way that also benefits Craft.

I wouldn't take anything away from Smith just because of Scott because I believe they are completely two different players at this point in their careers and I think Matta expects different things out of each of them. I agree that Scott does quite a few things when he is on the court but I don't think that Matta wants Smith pushing the ball up the court like Shannon does so well. However, as you say, he makes things so much easier for the team when he's in the game as long as he is not shooting too much:wink:
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Unfortunately for Lenzelle, with the exception of one great stretch against Northwestern, he has had a brutal season against legitimate teams.

Duke: 4/12 - 1/6 from three, 39 minutes
Kansas: 3/13 - 0/7 from three, 26 minutes
Illinois: 3/9, 2/5 from three, 4 turnovers, 30 minutes
Michigan: 1/4, 0/2 from 3, 4 turnovers, 30 minutes
Michigan State: 2/7, 2/5 from three, 3 turnovers, 30 minutes
Wisconsin: 2/4, 0/0 from three, 28 minutes
Michigan: 4/10, 2/7 from three, 5 turnovers, 33 minutes
Indiana: 2/6, 0/3 from three, 2 turnovers, 28 minutes
Northwestern: 4/8, 2/5 from three, 1 turnover, 30 minutes
Wisconsin: 2/4, 0/2 from three, 1 turnover, 21 minutes
Minnesota: 2/5, 0/1 from three, 0 turnovers, 11 minutes
Michigan State: 2/5, 1/3 from three, 1 turnover, 22 minutes
Northwestern: 7/13, 6/11 from three, 0 turnovers 38 minutes
Indiana: 2/9, 1/3 from three, 1 turnover, 34 minutes
Illinois: 4/9, 1/3 from three, 1 turnover, 32 minutes
Nebraska: 2/6, 0/2 from three, 1 turnover, 25 minutes
Michigan State: 1/6, 0/2 from three, 1 turnover, 15 minutes

That would be 18/64 from three (28%) against teams with a pulse.
He is 47/130 on all field goals (36%) against teams with a pulse.

I know he brings solid defense and some veteran leadership, but he has really regressed this year. I've picked games that I consider were legit opponents. For whatever reason, Lenzelle has excelled against inferior competition, which isn't earth-shattering, but just struggles horribly against decent competition. And it isn't as if he has had bad looks or you can just chalk it up to better defenses. Against Kansas he missed open look after open look. He couldn't find any rhythm in Cameron Indoor even with multiple wide-open looks. He predictably followed that game up with a 6/9 from three performance against Nebraska. He just seems to be in his own head in bigger games.

It seems Thad has decided to plays match-ups quite a bit between Thompson and Lenzelle now. When he wants the bigger body he goes with Lenzelle, when he wants a quicker line-up and doesn't respect the opponents offensive game from the 3 spot, he lets Thompson play. In both situations though, Shannon Scott went from a 15 minute a game player, to 25 minutes over the last half of the year.

I mentioned it in a game thread a few weeks ago, but I think Thad initially had reservations about the shooting ability of a backcourt consisting of Craft and Scott. But if Lenzelle is going to shoot 28% against respectable competition or in tournament games, there's very little downside to increasing Scott's minutes and letting him at least push pace and wreck havoc on defense.

It's a completely different feel when Shannon enters the game. It's swung momentum in almost every big game they've had since February 20th when Shannon had a coming out of sorts.
 
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I don't think this MSU team is going to go past the S16 in the tourney. They get the benefit in the Big Ten of very few fouls being called, and with his recent F4 teams (2005, 2009 and 2010) they have all been teams where they had multiple very good players coming off the bench - I just don't see the bench talent this year on MSU. They will run into a game where they actually get called for fouls and have to play their bench, and it's not going to work. MSU had the officiating of Izzo's dreams in the Big Ten tourney this year.
 
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Gary Parrish‏@GaryParrishCBS
The drunkest Michigan State fan I've ever seen is walking around the hotel bar telling every Ohio State fan to F himself. Can't end well.


Gary Parrish‏@GaryParrishCBS
Two Ohio State fans said, "Listen, we love Izzo. He's great. Nothing but respect for your program." Dude then called Thad Matta a gay slur.
 
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Dryden;2315814; said:
Gary Parrish‏@GaryParrishCBS
The drunkest Michigan State fan I've ever seen is walking around the hotel bar telling every Ohio State fan to F himself. Can't end well.

Gary Parrish‏@GaryParrishCBS
Two Ohio State fans said, "Listen, we love Izzo. He's great. Nothing but respect for your program." Dude then called Thad Matta a gay slur.
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That's when you come back with "Yeah? How do you know? All the guy does is WIN."
 
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Dryden;2315814; said:
Gary Parrish‏@GaryParrishCBS
The drunkest Michigan State fan I've ever seen is walking around the hotel bar telling every Ohio State fan to F himself. Can't end well.


Gary Parrish‏@GaryParrishCBS
Two Ohio State fans said, "Listen, we love Izzo. He's great. Nothing but respect for your program." Dude then called Thad Matta a gay slur.
Click to expand...


963448b7e09a31473.jpg
 
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