After suffering big losses in the offseason, the men's basketball team came into the new season with question marks, one being where the team’s strengths lie. According to Izzo, the backcourt will need to be his team’s strong-suit down the road.
“I’m feeling a little better about our guards,” Izzo said. “I think our guards still gotta be our strength, and right now, our bigs have been our strength, even against Gonzaga.”
Coming off a dominant, 93-47, exhibition victory over Northern Michigan Tuesday night, the Spartan starting five featured guards Cassius Winston, Joshua Langford and Matt McQuaid alongside forwards Kenny Goins and Nick Ward.
Of the Spartans' 93 points, just 35 came from the backcourt, as Winston scored 13, Langford put up 12, McQuaid notched eight and freshman guard Foster Loyer sank a pair of free throws. The four aforementioned guards combined to go 11-for-24 (45.8 percent) from the floor on the night.
Scoring from long-range Tuesday night also proved to be troublesome for a team that ranked fifth in the country in three-point shooting (41.3 percent) last season. The Spartan backcourt was a major part of those struggles, going 3-for-12 from long range against the Wildcats.
Langford, in particular, shot 25 percent from the floor, including missing all four of his three-point attempts.
“It’s kind of a different kind of team,” Izzo said. “I think for us to be great, we have to get more out of Josh (Langford) and our guards in general.”
The bright spot for the Spartan backcourt was Winston, who sank six of his eight shots on the night and dished out seven assists.
“Cassius had his hands full,” Izzo said. “That kid is as quick as anybody will play. He’s kind of like Tum Tum (Lourawls Nairn Jr.), and he can make some shots.”
As far as who in the backcourt can help Winston carry the offense remains up in the air. The other point guard on the roster is Loyer, whom some have voiced concerns over in regards to him being physically ready to step on the court in big games like the one coming up next week against No. 1 Kansas.
“Hell, I’m not sure there are many guys ready for that the way they look on paper,” Izzo said on Loyer’s readiness for Tuesday. “It’s a concern, you know, it really is. I mean, you can have a heart as big as a lion, but sooner or later size and strength play a factor until you figure out how to play against different sizes and strengths.”
Loyer measures in at 6 feet tall and 170 pounds, so he is often overmatched against bigger guards on the court.
“Early in the summer, he was a fish out of water,” Izzo said. “Then he figures things out, he’s just a very smart kid. He is going to figure all this out. Will it be in time for these first four or five games? I really don’t know.”
The Spartan's guards will receive their first, and possibly biggest test of the season next Tuesday when they square off against the Jayhawks in Indianapolis.
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