The Michigan State Spartans had a 2013-14 season that was in some ways a disappointment and in other ways a success. How will this new Michigan State team build off what happened last season? Not a whole lot is expected of Tom Izzo’s club as they are listed at +4484 to win March Madness.
Recap from Last Season
The Spartans’ big problem last season is that they were not very healthy most of the time. There were always injuries to top players. Gary Harris was the team’s shooting guard, and he could not stay on the court for very long. Branden Dawson was probably the team’s most important player as a tweener forward. Dawson was a defensive stopper who was very unselfish on offense and was willing to do the dirty work so that other players could look for their shot more often. Dawson’s 2013-2014 season was plagued by injuries, and with him out of the lineup most of the way, Michigan State didn’t find a comfort zone.
This team couldn’t repeat good offensive possessions, and players who weren’t used to playing together (due to a pile-up of injuries to guys in the starting five) had to learn to coexist on defense. This created problems in terms of defensive communication, which carried over into switching, hedging, and other basic defensive maneuvers that rely on trusting a teammate’s actions.
Basketball coaches such as Michigan State’s Tom Izzo want to be able to see their best players take the court night after night. This is not what happened with the Spartans, who didn’t get Dawson back into playing shape until the NCAA tournament. Had Michigan State been able to put its intended starting five on the court more often, the Spartans probably would have created more rhythm and togetherness on defense, something that would have helped them by the time March Madness ended.
Michigan State still did well to make the Elite Eight. Dawson’s work on defense helped the Spartans defeat top-seeded Virginia in the East Regional semifinals. However, Michigan State ran out of gas against the quicker and more responsive perimeter defense of Connecticut in the East Regional final in New York. The Huskies had that extra dimension of continuity the Spartans weren’t able to bring to the court.
Michigan State started the NCAA tournament as a team that was probably going to struggle to get out of the first weekend of the event. By getting to the Elite Eight, the Spartans surpassed expectations. However, the end of the line still resulted in a tournament exit one stop short of the Final Four. Michigan State expects to make the Final Four, but the Spartans have not reached that point since the 2010 season. The Spartans will start this new season with an intent to break their streak of seasons without a Final Four.
Offseason Changes
The Spartans lose the headline-grabbing players from the past few years for the program. Adreian Payne was a tough, shot-blocking, defensively active terror in the paint for the Spartans. He could could also spread the court by shooting occasional threes, creating another headache for defenses. Now he’s in the NBA. Harris, who was the Spartan’s best scorer, is now with the Denver Nuggets.
Travis Trice, who returns this season, is a solid deep threat as a shooter that will be asked to replace Harris’ scoring output. Not having either Payne or Harris will make this team feel a lot weaker than last season’s team.
Projected Finish
The Spartans got so much production from Payne and Harris that in a season without either of them, Michigan State is looking at a partial rebuild, if not something more. They also have to replace starting point guard Keith Appling, who played four solid years for Izzo.
Pick: Round Of 64 In the NCAA Tournament
