The Michigan State game.
Michigan State Spartans
Current record: 20-4
Big Ten record: 8-3
Current RPI: 14
Current Sagarin: 16
2006-07 record:22-11 (8-8)
2006-07 RPI: 24
2006-07 Sagarin: 20
Series: IU leads 63-42
Last IU win: 1/7/07 (73-51 in Bloomington)
Last MSU win: 2/24/07 (66-58 in East Lansing)
Last MSU win in Bloomington: 2/8/03 (67-62)
TV: 9 pm, ESPN
Basketball intervenes, again. Michigan State, not surprisingly since the Spartans are 20-4, looks good in all efficiency measures. Th Spartans are #7 in offensive rebounding, somewhat average in defensive rebounding. MSU doesn't take good care of the ball (#209 in offensive turnover possession). The Spartans don't shoot many three pointers, but prefer to pound the ball inside. MSU shoots on 53 percent from two point range. IU has struggled this year against interior-oriented teams.
Not much to say about this one. Unfortunately, what should have been one of the biggest games of the season feels secondary. Still, IU will remain in the Big Ten hunt if the Hoosiers can win the next two at home. We'll see.
2 comments:
Nice summation of MSU's statistical tendencies. As a Spartan fan, though, this sentence struck me oddly: "The Spartans don't shoot many three pointers, but prefer to pound the ball inside."
You're absolutely right we don't shoot many threes, but I wouldn't say we pound the ball inside, either. Most of our inside baskets come on offensive rebounds.
Speaks to the lack of offensive identity we MSU fans feel this team exhibits. The best shot at such an identity is the mid-range game with Lucas and Morgan.
Hopefully, it's a good game tonight. I'm forced to feel sympathetically to a Hoosier fan base that's had the thrill of being a fan during the conference stretch run ripped away from them . . .
Thanks for the clarification. I really haven't watched MSU much last year. I'm probably thinking more of the turn of the century Spartans than today's version. Still, all of IU's recent losses have come against teams with strong interior games, although interior defense (Wisconsin x2 and UConn) has been the real red flag, and you guys don't stand out statistically on D this year. Good luck.
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