Michigan State Only Took 8 Shots In the Paint

[Gurleyman]

8. Astonishing. Especially coming off that Iowa State 50-point second half.

 

[boog204]

We played phenomenal on-ball defense, especially Boat, Giff, and DD. Appling and Trice were absolutely useless and never could get any passing angles. As such, Payne got frustrated and pretty much stopped going inside and as MSU fans have lamented Valentine and Dawson do not have the handle to drive.

We basically had a brain fart towards the end of the first half giving up 4 transition/secondary break 3's and again in the early stages of the 2nd half. After that, we pretty much suffocated them. The only guy who could do anything was Harris.

 

[metsfan2323]

Iowa State was a better team with a better coach IMO, if Giff was on we would have blown out MS.

 

[partial]

They took 29 3 point shots and they were mostly falling in. I thought going into the half with the lead Michigan state would slow it down work methodically in the paint and with our poor shooting we would have a hard time to get back into it. Them keeping the ball on the perimeter allowed us to play disruptively with our guards force turnovers and get fouls down the stretch by just driving it in. How much of that is our interior defense and how much of that is Michigan state i'm not sure but it was key in winning.

 

[UChusky916]

Give Amida and Philly credit... on many of the attempted entry passes they did a great job of fronting their man to prevent the pass attempt down low. Not only that, but on the first play of the game Nolan set the tone by playing great stand-up D on Payne and not giving him an inch.

Obviously our guards' on-ball defense was huge as well.

 

[traitor71]

Agree with everything said. Our kids made it too damn hard to get inside and when MSU hit some shots, they fell into the trap of just putting them up. They made just enough to keep wanting to go that route and they ultimately paid for it.

 

[RichZ]

They took 29 3 point shots and they were mostly falling in.

By definition, "mostly" would mean at least more than half, and by common usage, it would mean more like 75% of them.

They shot 11 for 29 from 3.

 

[Final4 42]

Our interior defense (helped by ball pressure from Boatright) was off the charts and our defensive rebounding was the best it has been all year. Only gave up 4 offensive rebounds all game and that is tough with a team that had 18 3 pt misses. Everyone was giving 100%+ effort to secure any board after a shot, the urgency and energy on the defensive glass was like nothing I've seen from the team all year.

 

[Husky25]

Amazed that Brimah only played 10 minutes. Nolan really earned his stripes.

 

[boog204]

Our interior defense (helped by ball pressure from Boatright) was off the charts and our defensive rebounding was the best it has been all year. Only gave up 4 offensive rebounds all game and that is tough with a team that had 18 3 pt misses. Everyone was giving 100%+ effort to secure any board after a shot, the urgency and energy on the defensive glass was like nothing I've seen from the team all year.

Great point... The best we've boxed out all year. I can't remember a missed box assignment all game.

 

[intlzncster]

I posted this in another thread, but it belongs here too and deserves to be said again.

The undersized Huskies matched Michigan State's physical play box-out for box-out, holding the Spartans (29-9) to just six offensive rebounds and six points in the paint.

Points in the Paint for MSU: "the second fewest for any team in the last five Men's Basketball Championships (Butler scored two vs Connecticut in 2011)."

 

[partial]

By definition, "mostly" would mean at least more than half, and by common usage, it would mean more like 75% of them.

They shot 11 for 29 from 3.

Mostly was not the right word but if you're shooting 38% from 3 taking that many shots that's very good shooting to get the same number of points from 2 pt shots they would need to shoot 56%.

 

[BoatShow]

Payne and Dawson the two guys everyone said we couldn't guard were completely frustrated and taken out of their games. Payne hit a few shots but mainly on transition and broken plays. This team is playing defense on another level right now. Even Harris's shots were really contested and he hit some circus ones.

 

[BoatShow]

Amazed that Brimah only played 10 minutes. Nolan really earned his stripes.

Ollie has the luxury of playing the hot hand with these two and keeping both out of foul trouble for the most part. Yesterday, the team needed Phil more than Amida.

 

[PAHusky]

The comparison to the 2011 team is apt not because it's one lead dog pulling a team of scrubs (it wasn't true then and it's not true now) but rather because 1. our interior defense has been incredible (save the ISU matador defense which was the intentional gameplan) and we've gotten offensive contributions from "unexpected" sources.

In 2011 Roscoe/Chuck/Oriakhi really stepped it up throughout the tournament on the defensive end, Roscoe in particular. The increase in intensity let Kemba play solid D but also take a little bit of a blow on defense once in awhile and it let Bazz gamble more and play the role of reach around bandit. In the same way, on the offensive end, the emergence of J Lamb, the contributions inside from AO and Bazz stepping up with the testiculos meant that we weren't a one trick pony and we didn't have as much of the offensive stagnation that lost us some Big East regular season games (Kemba pounding the ball).

This year same story. Giffey has been huge on the interior, bodying up big guys and ripping down rebounds. Nolan is playing grown man defense. Brimah stopped getting himself out of position going for the block every time and now plays incredibly intelligent D when he's in. Daniels is doubling guys like a boss and has shown he's got some quick, quick hands. It's allowed Boat and, to a lesser extent, TSam to really apply the pressure on the outside, and it's let Bazz play selectively good D and take a bit of a blow when he needs to as well. It's really a beautiful sight. On the offensive end, this team really just needs contributions from 1.5 out of the following three to be really tough to beat - Giffey, Daniels and Boat. So far so good.

I think we can beat Florida. It won't be easy, they're a great team. But we're fueled by something inexplicable again. For god's sake, an anthropomorphic nut sack and a kid who rocked a rat tail as a freshman have us into the final four.

Basically, we're doomed.

 

[James]

Payne and Dawson the two guys everyone said we couldn't guard were completely frustrated and taken out of their games. Payne hit a few shots but mainly on transition and broken plays. This team is playing defense on another level right now. Even Harris's shots were really contested and he hit some circus ones.

all the talk on the radio/twitter is all about how msu didn't 'bring it'. Analysts are blind to the fact we fronted the post and forced their guards to make plays. basically, we have yet to win a game in the tourney; its the opponent who lost.

 

[Husky25]

all the talk on the radio/twitter is all about how msu didn't 'bring it'. Analysts are blind to the fact we fronted the post and forced their guards to make plays. basically, we have yet to win a game in the tourney; its the opponent who lost.

It doesn't matter. What did Kellogg say on Friday? One team gets the W and one team gets the L. UConn has the W.

 

[intlzncster]

It doesn't matter. What did Kellogg say on Friday? One team gets the W and one team gets the L. UConn has the W.

Steve Smith said that. And it was funny when he basically ignored Gottleib.

 

[Husky25]

Steve Smith said that. And it was funny when he basically ignored Gottleib.

Thanks. I didn't see the post game show...wait Steve or Kenny? Whatever. Doesn't matter in the scheme of things.

 

[intlzncster]

Thanks. I didn't see the post game show...wait Steve or Kenny? Whatever. Doesn't matter in the scheme of things.

It was Steve.

 

[RichZ]

One of the "expert" projections I enjoyed pregame was when Kellog picked MSU, but added a disclaimer that if it was close at the end, you can't pick against Shabazz.

 

[Jerry1714]

Iowa State was a better team with a better coach IMO, if Giff was on we would have blown out MS.

Well this may be a bit much