Junior forward Marquise Gray and Iowa center Seth Gorney scramble for a loose ball Saturday at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa. Drew Naymick said during a press conference on Monday that strong play from MSU’s big men is crucial in beating Ohio State on Tuesday.
One thing MSU men’s basketball head coach Tom Izzo isn’t going to do is panic about one loss — after all, the Spartans are still 14-2 while boasting a No. 11 ranking.
“I’ll be disappointed and ticked off,” Izzo said at his Monday press conference. “But I won’t panic.”
MSU wasn’t given much time to feel sorry for themselves, as the team watched film and practiced Sunday in preparation for their 7 p.m. contest against Ohio State (12-4 Big Ten, 3-1 overall) tonight at Breslin Center.
“It’s gonna be a battle (tonight),” senior center Drew Naymick said. “We gotta get back on the horse and defend the home court.”
In order to bounce back and win the game, Naymick said solid big-man play is absolutely necessary — with the exception of getting too physical and picking up quick fouls.
“Ohio State has a couple talented big men in (Kosta Koufos) and (Othello Hunter) and guys we’re gonna have to disrupt and keep off the glass,” he said. “We can’t be effective if we’re not on the court and we’re sitting on the bench with two fouls in the first half.”
Izzo said tonight’s game is critical because it’s at home and against a Buckeyes team that is “as good as anyone (MSU has) played.”
The 13th-year head coach went on to compliment the increase in play of Ohio State’s David Lighty — a 6-foot-5 guard similar to MSU’s sophomore forward Raymar Morgan, who has the ability to score and rebound the basketball.
“They have the ability to spread the court offensively,” Izzo said. “Not that they are all great shooters but they are all capable of making shots.”
Izzo said the most dangerous weapon on the Buckeyes’ squad is definitely Jamar Butler, who averages 14.8 points and 6.2 assists per game.
“He is the straw that stirs the drink,” he said. “He is doing a hell of a job over there. Right now, he’s one of the best guards in this league and maybe one of the better guards in the country.”
Avoiding a freshman funk
In the first two Big Ten games, freshmen guards Kalin Lucas and Durrell Summers averaged 16.5 and 8 points, respectively.
When they hit the road for their first Big Ten away game, no killer instinct was present — a case of the jitters showed up in its place.
“We just gotta come in more focused and bring the intensity,” Lucas said.
“We didn’t go in there with a lot of energy.”
Lucas said his 0-for-8 shot performance was affected by the insane amount of turnovers and simply having a poor shooting night as a team.
The backup point guard said he, Summers and freshman guard Chris Allen will fight to bring as much leadership to the table as they can — which will help them become “a great team.”
Shooting into the Neit
Fact: MSU’s coaching staff isn’t worried about senior guard Drew Neitzel’s shot.
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And although Neitzel can be found in the gym morning, noon and night shooting and shooting and shooting — the senior’s confidence to take the big shot has not deteriorated.
“If things are going wrong and we need a basket or a good possession, that’s when I might need to take over a little bit and get it done,” he said.
However, with Neitzel’s game changing because of shots that simply won’t fall, Izzo said other players’ components are altered.
“That’s what hurts (Walton) a little bit too,” Izzo said. “If (Neitzel) isn’t shooting as well or as much, then you gotta look at it from some other places and it causes other guys to not do what their job is.”
It’s been said many times before by players, coaches and analysts all across the nation — when Neitzel’s on … the whole team is on.
