Couch: 3 quick takes on Michigan State's 74-65 loss to Duke in the Champions Classic
1. Defensive grit will only get MSU so far. The Spartans have to figure things out on the offensive end.
CHICAGO – Michigan State’s offense is anything but smooth and easy right now, its outside shooting still a chore, even if the Spartans tripled their season total of made 3-pointers Tuesday night, making 6 of 19 in a 74-65 loss to Duke in the Champions Classic.
The good news for MSU is that we saw the makings of a team that’s willing to compete until they figure it out (presuming they can), a team that’ll defend with tenacity and grit, and a team whose veterans showed us some of what we’ve seen from them before. This was a needed offensive game from Malik Hall (18 points on 7-for-11 shooting). Jaden Akins had some strong moments. A.J. Hoggard got back to looking like a functional point guard, with eight assists and two turnovers. Tyson Walker created a key second-half run all on his own, as he’s known to do.
And yet, right now, this is a flawed team, because it played its best offensive game of the season and scored 65 points, made 41% of its shots and just a half-dozen 3s. And because it lacks an offensive identity or a way to get an easy bucket that doesn’t begin with Walker breaking down the defense. Because its starting center is more likely to miss or turn the ball over when he gets the ball in the paint (more on that below). Because while Akins is likely to get it going from beyond the arc soon and Walker did Tuesday, this is a roster with more drivers than shooters and opposing defenses know it.
It’s a long season and MSU has time to find its way. But it can also just be a long season. Right now, it’s looking like a grind.
2. MSU’s centers were solid defensively. On offense, there are some issues.
Defensively, Mady Sissoko and Carson Cooper mostly held up fine against Duke’s big men, namely 7-footer Kyle Filiposki, who wasn’t the Spartans’ problem Tuesday night. The issues were on the offensive end, where too often the ball is winding up in the hands of Sissoko and Cooper in the post and neither is an adept scorer or finisher. Cooper might become one, but he isn’t yet. Nor are they likely to create with a pass, Sissoko especially.
In the first half, for example, when Sissoko got the ball inside, he was 1-for-3 shooting with three turnovers. In other words, giving Sissoko the ball in the paint came with less than a 17% chance scoring. Just about any other plan offensively would have been better.
For the first time this season, offensively, you could see the need for what Jaxon Kohler can bring — a player with some offensive acumen and ability to pass from the post, even if that’s not something he did very often as a freshman, either. It’ll be interesting to see what Kohler brings when he returns from a foot injury, if he recognizes that need, and how much that helps this offense.
Cooper showed some wherewithal offensively in the second half, dribbling out of the post to hand off and screen a few times. He’s got the hands to do that and be part of effective offense. As a low-post threat, though, he’s still nowhere near as proficient as he is in other areas. He had eight rebounds and a block to go with two points in 21 minutes Tuesday.
For now, MSU is going to have to find a way to play around its big men more than through them, especially when Sissoko is on the floor. From a defense and rebounding standpoint, it looks like they’ll be OK.
3. Freshman thoughts – the Duke Champions Classic edition
For the first time this season, we saw where Tom Izzo’s head really is with the playing rotation and what that means for MSU’s freshmen, who played less collectively than in the first two games or exhibitions, just 19 minutes combined.
Jeremy Fears Jr. was the first freshman off the bench, nearly four minutes in. Then Booker and, lastly, Coen Carr, with nearly six minutes having been played. In the second half, it was Fears in about the same spot, followed by Carr not long after. Booker didn’t play after halftime. Izzo said he’s going to lean more on his veterans and he did, though foul trouble also skewed the plan, with Fears playing less and Carr playing more.
None of MSU’s freshmen were all that impactful Tuesday. Fears did come up with a steal and layup shortly after checking in that temporarily unlocked a game stuck at 3-2 MSU for several minutes. But he also was called for a couple offensive fouls and gave up at least two 3-pointers when he didn’t close out in time. Fears is going to be fine. But he looked like a freshman Tuesday. And the trouble with that, for the time being, is that he’s taking all of the backup point guard minutes. So, whereas late in the season a year ago, Tyson Walker was giving MSU efficient minutes at the point when Hoggard was out, now it’s all on Fears. He’s got to get to Walker’s last-year level by the end of this season.
Carr played better than his numbers — two points on 1-for-2 shooting (an alley-oop dunk), with three blocks, one turnover, one rebound and one steal. He was on the court in the second half as part of the lineup that got MSU back into the game, playing power forward alongside A.J. Hoggard, Tyson Walker, Tre Holloman and Carson Cooper. Carr is going to be a tremendous player. You can see it. Even on nights like this. It’s just going to take a minute.
Booker saw five minutes, all in the first half, scored a bucket and took what was a good 3 in the corner. His role for now — in games like this — is about what you saw Tuesday night.
Contact Graham Couch at gcouch@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @Graham_Couch.
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: MSU basketball falls to Duke in Champions Classic: 3 quick takes
