That is one in the books. This post-game article won’t include the usual recap of the game as I did not get to catch the whole game. I picked it up at halftime and saw the 2nd half. Earlier today, on our
weekly call, the TOC writers tried to make predictions for the opener. Lucas and I both envisioned MSU winning by at least 20, while Mike and Steve thought it would be within 15. So turning it on at the half and seeing just a three-point game was a little bit alarming.
Lucas caught some of the 1st half on the radio call and had a few notes. Colgate was running a zone defense which led to the Spartans taking a high number of triples. In the first 20 minutes, MSU launched 12 triples, but only connected on 4. One of the narratives coming into this game was the significant size advantage that MSU would have over the Raiders, but the defensive strategy must have motivated the home team to take as many of their shots from the perimeter rather than trying to use the size advantage in the interior. Maybe it was Colgate betting against MSU’s ability to hit the deep ball. I do not mean “betting” in a literal sense with money or anything; it won’t be until next year that the NCAA decides to permit players to make bets on the game they are playing in during the game.
Tom Izzo got all ten of the projected two-deep onto the court before halftime, and nine of those players scored at least one point. Jeremy Fears was as promised, showing a new willingness to attack the interior on offense. And the seldomly-used guy from last year, Kur Teng, drained a pair from behind the arc.
In the second half, Colgate actually tied the game about three minutes in, but then MSU gradually stretched back into the lead. Each time they would get some space, though, Colgate would go on a little run of their own to bring it back to within striking distance. The Spartans got out as big as a 15-point lead before Colgate brought it back to within 7. The final score, an 80-69 victory for Michigan State, left a lot to be desired.
Now time for O’s post-game feature, 3 Likes and 3 Dislikes. Let’s get to the lists.
3 Things I Liked:
1. A double double-double. Yes, in the season opener, a pair of Spartans picked up a double-double. Point guard Jeremy Fears, who already looks like he has made significant progress in the offseason, finished with 14 points and 10 assists, not to mention a handful of rebounds and steals. On the interior, Jaxon Kohler put down 16 points, grabbed 15 rebounds, and also had two assists, two steals, and one block.
2. Jordan Scott’s hustle. A lot of new names on this year’s squad. For me, my favorite debut performance came from true freshman Jordan Scott. While Scott finished with only 6 points on 1-4 shooting, he showed great hustle in snagging a half-dozen rebounds and earning 5 tries from the stripe. He played 18 minutes in his first collegiate game, 2nd most among the backups and a high number for an Izzo player in their first game, but he showed he deserved all of them.
3. Early appearance from a bench-warmer. Denham Wojcik, son of associate head couch Doug Wojcik and a player I thought we would only see in the closing minutes of a game that has already been decided, made a cameo a little bit beyond halfway through the 2nd half, and played for about a minute and a half. Either this was Tom doing Doug a favor and letting him see his son play as soon as possible, or this was Tom needing to bring both his PGs to the bench for a talking-to. Though he did not have any stats from his abbreviated shift, it must have been a special moment for both Wojciks.
3 Things I Did Not Like:
1. Free throw shooting. While MSU had a massive advantage in free throw opportunities, taking 37 to the Raiders’ 6, the efficiency in which the Spartans converted was atrocious. MSU made only 23 of the 37, a disturbing 64.9%. Last year, it was the triple that gave the Spartans issues in the first few games. If the exhibition season was any indication, perhaps this year it will be FTs that give us fits.
2. The best player in the game may have been on the other team. The high scorer in this game was Colgate’s Sam Wright, who finished with 17. But he may not have even been their star tonight. That distinction should go to Jalen Cox. Cox scored 12 on 5-6 shooting, hitting both his three-point attempts along the way. And he also contributed with 8 rebounds and 7 assists. It seems every time we play a team that we believe should not be playing us as closely as Colgate did tonight, someone comes along and has themselves an out-of-nowhere performance.
3. Alley-Coop Oopsie. I have long declared myself Carson Cooper’s biggest fan. So it saddens me to see that the first field goal attempt of MSU’s season was a missed dunk by Cooper. Beyond that opening possession, Cooper ended the game going 4-10 from the field. Looking at his shot chart, he missed four of those shots from within or just outside of the restricted area. Cooper needs to shoot a higher percentage, especially when he is getting most of his shots from the low post.
What about you? What did you like and/or dislike about game #1?
VICTORY FOR MSU!!!
