Inside the Hall - Latest Comments in ITH Super Happy Fun Time Big Ten Preview: Spartans of Michigan State

Re: ITH Super Happy Fun Time Big Ten Preview: Spartans of Michigan State

Big A — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 14:07:54 -0000

Thanks for stopping by Spartan Blogger. Enjoyed your preview.

Re: ITH Super Happy Fun Time Big Ten Preview: Spartans of Michigan State

spartan blogger — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 14:00:25 -0000

I'll weigh in with a Spartan perspective:

1) Neitzel clearly plays shooting guard now, in the sense he doesn't usually bring the ball up the court or run the offense. He's still a heckuva a passer, though.

2) Morgan is clearly a wing player, albeit one who's very good as using his size and athleticism to create scoring opportunities near the basket. And he continues the Izzo tradition of wing players who can rebound.

Have appreciated the team previews here. Did a preview of my own--stat-based and all in one fell swoop. Warning: I've downplayed IU's chances a bit--maybe your preview will convince me otherwise.

http://spartansweblog.wordpress.com/2008/01/01/...

Should be a good race. I wouldn't rule Wisconsin out--particularly with the advantage they have of not playing in East Lansing.

Cheers.

Re: ITH Super Happy Fun Time Big Ten Preview: Spartans of Michigan State

Tom — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 12:28:23 -0000

In their last game , Walton and Lucas had 17 assists and 0 turnovers---they are the point guards regardless of your insistence on Neitzel which is equivalent to calling Gordon our point guard because he has a high percentage of possessions.

Re: ITH Super Happy Fun Time Big Ten Preview: Spartans of Michigan State

PostmanE — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 11:32:05 -0000

Tom:

Good call on Morgan. He's less of a "post player" than he is an interior scorer, or at least he was last year. I haven't seen him enough this year, beyond his numbers, to battle that assessment.

And Neitzel is a point guard insomuch as the Spartans use him to control the ball. Walton and Lucas bring it up the floor, but Neitzel's percentage of possession is much higher than Walton's, and slightly less than Lucas'. But yeah, I'll cop to having seen the Spartans but once this season, and that was the UCLA game. This was numbers-based, and I'll stand corrected on the Morgan stuff.

Re: ITH Super Happy Fun Time Big Ten Preview: Spartans of Michigan State

Big A — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 11:31:56 -0000

Tom,

Agreed that Morgan is more like a 3/4. He does post up sometimes, but he's more of a slasher and a midrange guy. I really like his game.

Neitzel has the ability to play the point, but Lucas and Walton are the primary ball handlers. Neitzel spends most of his time running off of screens and taking off balanced shots that always seem to go in.

Re: ITH Super Happy Fun Time Big Ten Preview: Spartans of Michigan State

Tom — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 11:21:44 -0000

Neitzel is NOT a point guard--Walton and Lucas are the point guards. MSU has no one that can guard DJ. Ellis will contain Morgan, Our five guards will outplay MSU's guards. Enough said--IU in a cakewalk.Morgan is a 3 mostly,sometime a 4--not a post player.Your analysis is bad.

Re: ITH Super Happy Fun Time Big Ten Preview: Spartans of Michigan State

Tom — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 11:19:35 -0000

Neitzel is NOT a point guard--Walton and Lucas are the point guards. MSU has no one that can guard DJ. Ellis will contrain Morgan, Our five guards will outplay MSU's guards. Enough said--IU in a cakewalk.