Comments on: Spartan Heartbreak: #1 Indiana Takes Down MSU 72-68 http://spartannation.com/2013/02/19/spartan-heartbreak-1-indiana-takes-down-msu-72-68/ Your Home for Michigan State, Big Ten & Detroit Pro Sports News Sat, 18 May 2013 00:00:40 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: DC Spartan http://spartannation.com/2013/02/19/spartan-heartbreak-1-indiana-takes-down-msu-72-68/comment-page-1/#comment-79422 DC Spartan Thu, 21 Feb 2013 14:13:30 +0000 http://spartannation.com/?p=28109#comment-79422 I have no insight into Dawson mental state so I will refrain from commenting. As for how to break ppl out of a slump with PT, I'm all for it, but not when it's a tight game in the closing seconds. you have to give yourself the best chance to win and leaving someone in who won't play defense is inexcusable. Appling has struggled, I'm not sure how much is due to fatigue, Trice coming back will help. valentine may struggle with some lateral quickness but he's still pretty effective for a freshman and has really come on since his slump. Trice has missed 9 games due to concussion symptoms, poor guy can't catch a break. I'm not sure what more you want. He needs to work back into the rotation and get back into game shape. As for Costello, he's going to be a big part of the future and he's doing great defensively, but right now he's one dimensional. I have no problem with him or Gauna coming in for spot duty to give Nix or Payne a break, maybe 5-10 minutes a game. As for the need to shake things up this is the method that got us to 22-5. I think everyone wishes we had an effort that matched the UM game everytime we played. But we are still ahead of expectations and as frustrating as some of the losses and wins have been,I'm enjoying the season. Are you? I have no insight into Dawson mental state so I will refrain from commenting.

As for how to break ppl out of a slump with PT, I’m all for it, but not when it’s a tight game in the closing seconds. you have to give yourself the best chance to win and leaving someone in who won’t play defense is inexcusable.

Appling has struggled, I’m not sure how much is due to fatigue, Trice coming back will help.

valentine may struggle with some lateral quickness but he’s still pretty effective for a freshman and has really come on since his slump.

Trice has missed 9 games due to concussion symptoms, poor guy can’t catch a break. I’m not sure what more you want. He needs to work back into the rotation and get back into game shape.

As for Costello, he’s going to be a big part of the future and he’s doing great defensively, but right now he’s one dimensional. I have no problem with him or Gauna coming in for spot duty to give Nix or Payne a break, maybe 5-10 minutes a game.

As for the need to shake things up this is the method that got us to 22-5. I think everyone wishes we had an effort that matched the UM game everytime we played. But we are still ahead of expectations and as frustrating as some of the losses and wins have been,I’m enjoying the season. Are you?

]]> By: Pete http://spartannation.com/2013/02/19/spartan-heartbreak-1-indiana-takes-down-msu-72-68/comment-page-1/#comment-79421 Pete Thu, 21 Feb 2013 00:55:49 +0000 http://spartannation.com/?p=28109#comment-79421 Dawson is mentally fragile. You're not going to fix him by sitting him for long periods of time. Appling is not a point guard. He shoots bad shots, he can't pass the ball, and he sure can't run an offense or play on-ball defense. Somebody needs to tell Valentine that he is not quick enough or big enough to be Magic. Trice and Costello are the only subs Izzo has that can help him right now and he sits them every time they sneeze. It's amazing to me that MSU came close to winning but, had they won, there would have been a national controversy about the homer refs and scorekeepers. Sorry, all of this doesn't point to the players, it points to Izzo. He needs to shake up this team or they will fade into fourth place. Costello should start and Nix can sit until we're ahead in the game. Dawson needs to be rationed minutes consistently until he grows up. Trice should get half the time at the 1. Get the players out there that play the best on-ball defense and, maybe, this basketball season will not have a football ending. Dawson is mentally fragile. You’re not going to fix him by sitting him for long periods of time. Appling is not a point guard. He shoots bad shots, he can’t pass the ball, and he sure can’t run an offense or play on-ball defense. Somebody needs to tell Valentine that he is not quick enough or big enough to be Magic. Trice and Costello are the only subs Izzo has that can help him right now and he sits them every time they sneeze. It’s amazing to me that MSU came close to winning but, had they won, there would have been a national controversy about the homer refs and scorekeepers. Sorry, all of this doesn’t point to the players, it points to Izzo. He needs to shake up this team or they will fade into fourth place. Costello should start and Nix can sit until we’re ahead in the game. Dawson needs to be rationed minutes consistently until he grows up. Trice should get half the time at the 1. Get the players out there that play the best on-ball defense and, maybe, this basketball season will not have a football ending.

]]> By: DC Spartan http://spartannation.com/2013/02/19/spartan-heartbreak-1-indiana-takes-down-msu-72-68/comment-page-1/#comment-79420 DC Spartan Wed, 20 Feb 2013 19:30:21 +0000 http://spartannation.com/?p=28109#comment-79420 Pete, are you serious? Dawson was pulled bc his level of play on defense was killing us. case in point, he comes in for Valentine, and immediately off an in bounds he stood and watched while losing his man giving up a wide open three they knocked down, valentine came back in right away. All for an engaged Dawson playing, but that's just awful. The game plan was pretty good, we didn't execute. We need Appling and Dawson to raise their game, they're vets. Pete, are you serious? Dawson was pulled bc his level of play on defense was killing us.

case in point, he comes in for Valentine, and immediately off an in bounds he stood and watched while losing his man giving up a wide open three they knocked down, valentine came back in right away.

All for an engaged Dawson playing, but that’s just awful.

The game plan was pretty good, we didn’t execute. We need Appling and Dawson to raise their game, they’re vets.

]]> By: John http://spartannation.com/2013/02/19/spartan-heartbreak-1-indiana-takes-down-msu-72-68/comment-page-1/#comment-79419 John Wed, 20 Feb 2013 17:15:41 +0000 http://spartannation.com/?p=28109#comment-79419 We had an excellent chance down the stretch. I thought missing crucial free throws was our undoing. We had an excellent chance down the stretch. I thought missing crucial free throws was our undoing.

]]> By: Pete http://spartannation.com/2013/02/19/spartan-heartbreak-1-indiana-takes-down-msu-72-68/comment-page-1/#comment-79418 Pete Wed, 20 Feb 2013 14:22:44 +0000 http://spartannation.com/?p=28109#comment-79418 Tom Izzo lost the game for MSU tonight. He inexplicably sat Dawson for at least 10 minutes in the second half. He punished Trice and Costello for making little mistakes when Appling, Valentine, and the rest were making big mistakes almost all of the time. He didn't identify the matchups he could win fast enough to score points and his players don't play straight man defense well enough to keep Indiana from scoring the three ball. Izzo may give MSU its only recognizable major college sports program in America but he's not infallible. Sometimes, he's not even good. Tom Izzo lost the game for MSU tonight. He inexplicably sat Dawson for at least 10 minutes in the second half. He punished Trice and Costello for making little mistakes when Appling, Valentine, and the rest were making big mistakes almost all of the time. He didn’t identify the matchups he could win fast enough to score points and his players don’t play straight man defense well enough to keep Indiana from scoring the three ball. Izzo may give MSU its only recognizable major college sports program in America but he’s not infallible. Sometimes, he’s not even good.

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