Junior guard Kalin Lucas goes for a layup against Northwestern forward Luka Mirkovic on Jan. 30 against Northwestern at Breslin Center. Lucas, the team’s leading scorer, injured his ankle Feb. 2 in MSU’s loss to Wisconsin. He is questionable for tonight’s game against Purdue.
Kalin Lucas might not have played for the MSU men’s basketball team Saturday night against Illinois, but he wasn’t out of the game.
During game action and in the huddle for timeouts during MSU’s 78-73 loss, the junior guard could be seen barking orders at teammates and offering suggestions as if he were bringing the ball up the floor himself, sprained ankle and all.
“They always say there’s a silver lining in every cloud,” MSU head coach Tom Izzo said Monday at his weekly press conference. “The silver lining in this cloud is on film. I watched him. He was a great cheerleader on the bench. He had some great suggestions on different plays he thought would work for different people in timeouts. The frustration, yeah, there’s some because he’s disappointed. He feels bad he can’t go. Other than that, there’s been nothing but positives from it.”
Earlier this season, Izzo benched Lucas for a short time because the coach wasn’t seeing what he wanted from his point guard. Lucas responded by hitting game-winning baskets in two straight Big Ten road wins and leading the Spartans to a program-best 9-0 conference start.
“It was just like he was playing,” junior guard Durrell Summers said Saturday of Lucas’ presence. “He was just out trying to help guys and he could see a little more from the bench.”
Izzo said Lucas’ status for tonight’s game against No. 6 Purdue (9 p.m., ESPN) remains questionable and will be solely based on how Lucas feels.
Lucas tested the ankle in shootaround Saturday before the Illinois game, but did not dress.
On Monday, sophomore forward Draymond Green said Lucas was shooting Sunday and constantly has received treatment on the ankle.
“When he’s dedicated like that … Kalin is a warrior,” Green said. “He’s not going to sit out if he doesn’t have to.”
Lucas had the support of former MSU captain and guard Travis Walton on the bench at Illinois. Izzo said the competitive spirit he sees in Lucas has been apparent in other former captains and guards.
“I feel comfortable that I know he’s tough enough and if he plays, he’s going to play,” Izzo said. “Kalin’s going to play if he has to hobble. He’s got some (Mateen) Cleaves in him like that.”
Both ends of the floor
Summers appears to be emerging as the consistent scorer the Spartans have been looking for, but Izzo is looking for more on the other end of the floor.
The junior has scored in double figures in the last four games, while being named the Big Ten Player of the Week last week after two double-double efforts.
But Summers’ defense has perplexed Izzo for weeks.
“Durrell Summers is a great player,” Izzo said. “He’s even a better athlete. He’s got to start playing better on the defensive end. He’s too good of a player, too good of a rebounder to be that absent.”
The Spartans were particularly susceptible to perimeter shooting in losses to Illinois and Wisconsin last week. Summers said his contribution comes down to self-discipline.
“Sometimes, I get caught up trying to help out too much or something and I close out too late,” he said. “I’ve got to get better with that.”
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