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Sorry if this has been posted already. Michigan State Forums can be viewed here
This is their writeup on us.
PS - Whats up with GMail being banned for registration?
This is their writeup on us.
MSU takes a shot at getting back on the winning track after the BC loss with an interesting test, facing Bradley's Braves at the Bres on Sunday afternoon.
Bradley comes in at 5-2, but they've lost their last two games, so they too are somewhat desperate for a victory. They lost to Illinois by 4 and Tennessee Tech by 2 on the road. They have one impressive win to date, a blowout over DePaul in the season opener. This was supposed to be a rebuilding year for Bradley, given that they lost 4 starters, including lottery pick Patrick O'Bryant and three time all MVC pick Marcellus Sommerville (an ex-Iowa Hawkeye, btw), as well as some key reserves from last season's Sweet Sixteen team. However, so far, indications are that the Braves just might be capable of stepping up and surprising some folks in the ultra-competitive Missouri Valley Conference.
BACKCOURT - The sole returning starter for Bradley is senior point guard Daniel Ruffin. Ruffin missed the first 3 games for Jim Les' club, but he's back now to run the offense. Ruffin is one of several legit perimeter threats for Bradley, but he's also always been a sound decision maker at the lead spot, one reason that Les has started him for his entire career in Peoria. Ruffin is also the half brother of former IU player (and MSU recruit) AJ Guyton.
Jeremy Crouch has emerged as the top offensive threat for the Braves as a junior. Crouch has been lights-out as a shooter, hitting over 64% of his threes so far (and he puts up a bunch, so it's not a cheap number), while averaging over 17 ppg. This has been something of a surprise, because he struggled as a reserve last season with his shot. He did have a fine freshman season, so it appears Crouch is back to his early form for Les. Crouch gives Bradley some decent size on the wing at 6'5", 210.
Will Franklin has been a key reserve in the past, and he ran the show while Ruffin was out early. He gives Les another true point guard on the floor, and he too is another reliable shooter from deep (44% from three so far). Having he and Ruffin on the floor together has resulted in an offense that just doesn't give the ball away as much as one would think, given the relatively high tempo at which Bradley plays the game.
Andrew Warren is a freshman wing who gives Les some quality minutes off the bench. He's another good shooter who has also been able to use his 6'5" size to score inside the arc at a decent clip as well.
Drew Neitzel faced a very difficult test against Boston College. The Eagles flat out shut him down in the first half, showing a remarkable tenacity and ability to recognize and close on him whenever he saw the ball. He managed to make himself a factor with some hard work in the second half, but MSU cannot afford Drew to not be a consistent offensive factor for this team. Bradley has not given any indications that they'll defend at anything close to the level MSU has seen from BC and Maryland, so Drew ought to get his opportunities.
Travis Walton is one of the few guys who came out of the BC loss with reason to feel decently about what he did. He's continued to defend well, is making good, sound decisions with the ball, and he was a threat offensively. If he keeps it up, MSU will be a much better team in terms of efficiency. He just has to remain a threat.
Raymar Morgan got off to a great start, and then foul trouble took him out of the lineup, and he was never able to get his rhythm back the rest of the way. Bradley has some guys roughly in his size range, but this is a game where I think Raymar can potentially get a lot done if he's intelligently aggressive with the ball getting to the rim.
Maurice Joseph and Isaiah Dahlman both failed to make a big impact last time out. MSU needs the perimeter production these guys can provide when they're at their best. Again, Bradley is not a defensive juggernaut, so I would expect shots will be available.
ADVANTAGE - Even
FRONTCOURT - The loss of O'Bryant and Sommerville was supposed to leave Bradley in big trouble inside. They're not deep, but Zach Andrews has stepped forward and given Jim Les a legitimate post presence. Andrews is averaging just shy of a double-double in the early going. He's not a particularly strong guy at only 225, but he's very athletic, so he gets a lot done through activity level and energy. To date, he is hitting almost 70% from the floor, using that athleticism to finish with regularity inside.
JJ Tauai is really a guard, but at 6'3", 220, he's the closest thing to another forward Bradley has in their starting lineup. He's another good perimeter shooter, but gets more done inside than his backcourt teammates. He's also probably their best individual defender.
Danny Adams and Matt Salley are the two key reserves inside. Adams is really a wing at 6'4", and he's yet another big time shooter from distance (47% from three). Salley is a 6'7" forward who can score inside and out, but at least gives the Braves another decently sized player to match up with bigger opponents.
Goran Suton had something of a breakthrough game against BC, though admittedly a lot of the production came late when MSU was in comeback mode. THe bottom line is that Goran has post skills beyond what any teammates possesses, and he can be a key piece if he gains consistency of focus and effort. At his best, he's a weapon on the glass and as a versatile offensive player, capable of scoring in the post or in the midrange game. I feel as if he's really on the verge of getting over the hump. A second straight big game would go a long way toward accomplishing that.
Marquise Gray had a quiet game after a big effort against Oakland. That's the kind of season I think it'll be with Quise, given his lack of practice time in the offseason. This is a game where his size, mindset, and athletic ability could be a factor. MSU will need to control the glass in this one, and Quise should be a big part of that.
Drew Naymick and Idong Ibok will be the biggest guys on the floor by a long shot in this one. Andrews has an athletic advantage versus them inside, so both guys need to use their strength and length to bother him in the paint and keep him off the offensive boards.
ADVANTAGE - Michigan State
The 3 Keys:
1. Guarding the arc is a very, very obvious key for MSU in this game. Not only does Bradley shoot the three phenomenally well (well over 40% as a team), but they shoot it a lot (more than 25 attempts per game). Bradley is a small team that really has no choice but to utilize the deep ball in order to win. In their two recent losses they were either limited in terms of attempts (Tennessee Tech held them to just 18 tries) or makes (they "only" hit 38% against Illinois). MSU thus far has been pretty responsible in terms of attention to defensive detail, but this one is going to be a challenge. Locating and closing on shooters will be the order of the day. The best bet would be to plain limit the good looks they get...I'd feel better about limiting attempts than relying on Bradley to shoot a poor percentage.
2. As noted above, Bradley is a very small team. There is no excuse for MSU not managing to own the glass at both ends of the floor. In a game against a good offensive team, there's a greater emphasis placed on efficiency for MSU. Yes, they could step up and hit a lot of shots (and I think they will get great looks against this team), but with an opponent who will hit a lot of threes, I think it's even more important that MSU turn a lot of their own misses into second and third shots.
3. MSU really needs to exploit Bradley's physical weaknesses. This is a team that just plain should not be able to do much with MSU's big kids. If there is ever a game where Suton, Naymick, Morgan, et al should be able to have their way in the post, this is it.
OVERALL - Bradley got a lot of early attention based on that DePaul blowout, and they've sustained it with reasonably good play (though the Tennessee Tech loss was not a good one, to be sure). The fact that almost everyone in the lineup is a serious three point shooting threat makes them a difficult matchup in some ways, but the good news is that MSU probably can get away with focusing on that end of the game. I like MSU's chances against one-dimensional teams, what with Izzo's ability historically to get his teams to focus and execute on the defensive end.
I think MSU will win, and I don't think it'll be a nail-biter. I think the Spartans will find ways to limit the damage from deep, and on the other end, MSU's size will wear the Braves down over the course of 40 minutes.
PREDICTION - Michigan State 72 Bradley 64
Bradley comes in at 5-2, but they've lost their last two games, so they too are somewhat desperate for a victory. They lost to Illinois by 4 and Tennessee Tech by 2 on the road. They have one impressive win to date, a blowout over DePaul in the season opener. This was supposed to be a rebuilding year for Bradley, given that they lost 4 starters, including lottery pick Patrick O'Bryant and three time all MVC pick Marcellus Sommerville (an ex-Iowa Hawkeye, btw), as well as some key reserves from last season's Sweet Sixteen team. However, so far, indications are that the Braves just might be capable of stepping up and surprising some folks in the ultra-competitive Missouri Valley Conference.
BACKCOURT - The sole returning starter for Bradley is senior point guard Daniel Ruffin. Ruffin missed the first 3 games for Jim Les' club, but he's back now to run the offense. Ruffin is one of several legit perimeter threats for Bradley, but he's also always been a sound decision maker at the lead spot, one reason that Les has started him for his entire career in Peoria. Ruffin is also the half brother of former IU player (and MSU recruit) AJ Guyton.
Jeremy Crouch has emerged as the top offensive threat for the Braves as a junior. Crouch has been lights-out as a shooter, hitting over 64% of his threes so far (and he puts up a bunch, so it's not a cheap number), while averaging over 17 ppg. This has been something of a surprise, because he struggled as a reserve last season with his shot. He did have a fine freshman season, so it appears Crouch is back to his early form for Les. Crouch gives Bradley some decent size on the wing at 6'5", 210.
Will Franklin has been a key reserve in the past, and he ran the show while Ruffin was out early. He gives Les another true point guard on the floor, and he too is another reliable shooter from deep (44% from three so far). Having he and Ruffin on the floor together has resulted in an offense that just doesn't give the ball away as much as one would think, given the relatively high tempo at which Bradley plays the game.
Andrew Warren is a freshman wing who gives Les some quality minutes off the bench. He's another good shooter who has also been able to use his 6'5" size to score inside the arc at a decent clip as well.
Drew Neitzel faced a very difficult test against Boston College. The Eagles flat out shut him down in the first half, showing a remarkable tenacity and ability to recognize and close on him whenever he saw the ball. He managed to make himself a factor with some hard work in the second half, but MSU cannot afford Drew to not be a consistent offensive factor for this team. Bradley has not given any indications that they'll defend at anything close to the level MSU has seen from BC and Maryland, so Drew ought to get his opportunities.
Travis Walton is one of the few guys who came out of the BC loss with reason to feel decently about what he did. He's continued to defend well, is making good, sound decisions with the ball, and he was a threat offensively. If he keeps it up, MSU will be a much better team in terms of efficiency. He just has to remain a threat.
Raymar Morgan got off to a great start, and then foul trouble took him out of the lineup, and he was never able to get his rhythm back the rest of the way. Bradley has some guys roughly in his size range, but this is a game where I think Raymar can potentially get a lot done if he's intelligently aggressive with the ball getting to the rim.
Maurice Joseph and Isaiah Dahlman both failed to make a big impact last time out. MSU needs the perimeter production these guys can provide when they're at their best. Again, Bradley is not a defensive juggernaut, so I would expect shots will be available.
ADVANTAGE - Even
FRONTCOURT - The loss of O'Bryant and Sommerville was supposed to leave Bradley in big trouble inside. They're not deep, but Zach Andrews has stepped forward and given Jim Les a legitimate post presence. Andrews is averaging just shy of a double-double in the early going. He's not a particularly strong guy at only 225, but he's very athletic, so he gets a lot done through activity level and energy. To date, he is hitting almost 70% from the floor, using that athleticism to finish with regularity inside.
JJ Tauai is really a guard, but at 6'3", 220, he's the closest thing to another forward Bradley has in their starting lineup. He's another good perimeter shooter, but gets more done inside than his backcourt teammates. He's also probably their best individual defender.
Danny Adams and Matt Salley are the two key reserves inside. Adams is really a wing at 6'4", and he's yet another big time shooter from distance (47% from three). Salley is a 6'7" forward who can score inside and out, but at least gives the Braves another decently sized player to match up with bigger opponents.
Goran Suton had something of a breakthrough game against BC, though admittedly a lot of the production came late when MSU was in comeback mode. THe bottom line is that Goran has post skills beyond what any teammates possesses, and he can be a key piece if he gains consistency of focus and effort. At his best, he's a weapon on the glass and as a versatile offensive player, capable of scoring in the post or in the midrange game. I feel as if he's really on the verge of getting over the hump. A second straight big game would go a long way toward accomplishing that.
Marquise Gray had a quiet game after a big effort against Oakland. That's the kind of season I think it'll be with Quise, given his lack of practice time in the offseason. This is a game where his size, mindset, and athletic ability could be a factor. MSU will need to control the glass in this one, and Quise should be a big part of that.
Drew Naymick and Idong Ibok will be the biggest guys on the floor by a long shot in this one. Andrews has an athletic advantage versus them inside, so both guys need to use their strength and length to bother him in the paint and keep him off the offensive boards.
ADVANTAGE - Michigan State
The 3 Keys:
1. Guarding the arc is a very, very obvious key for MSU in this game. Not only does Bradley shoot the three phenomenally well (well over 40% as a team), but they shoot it a lot (more than 25 attempts per game). Bradley is a small team that really has no choice but to utilize the deep ball in order to win. In their two recent losses they were either limited in terms of attempts (Tennessee Tech held them to just 18 tries) or makes (they "only" hit 38% against Illinois). MSU thus far has been pretty responsible in terms of attention to defensive detail, but this one is going to be a challenge. Locating and closing on shooters will be the order of the day. The best bet would be to plain limit the good looks they get...I'd feel better about limiting attempts than relying on Bradley to shoot a poor percentage.
2. As noted above, Bradley is a very small team. There is no excuse for MSU not managing to own the glass at both ends of the floor. In a game against a good offensive team, there's a greater emphasis placed on efficiency for MSU. Yes, they could step up and hit a lot of shots (and I think they will get great looks against this team), but with an opponent who will hit a lot of threes, I think it's even more important that MSU turn a lot of their own misses into second and third shots.
3. MSU really needs to exploit Bradley's physical weaknesses. This is a team that just plain should not be able to do much with MSU's big kids. If there is ever a game where Suton, Naymick, Morgan, et al should be able to have their way in the post, this is it.
OVERALL - Bradley got a lot of early attention based on that DePaul blowout, and they've sustained it with reasonably good play (though the Tennessee Tech loss was not a good one, to be sure). The fact that almost everyone in the lineup is a serious three point shooting threat makes them a difficult matchup in some ways, but the good news is that MSU probably can get away with focusing on that end of the game. I like MSU's chances against one-dimensional teams, what with Izzo's ability historically to get his teams to focus and execute on the defensive end.
I think MSU will win, and I don't think it'll be a nail-biter. I think the Spartans will find ways to limit the damage from deep, and on the other end, MSU's size will wear the Braves down over the course of 40 minutes.
PREDICTION - Michigan State 72 Bradley 64
PS - Whats up with GMail being banned for registration?
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