Game Day Open Thread - Michigan State Spartans

by BSD on Jan 14, 2009 4:00 PM EST in Basketball

Michigan St. Spartans at Penn St. Nittany Lions, Jan 14, 2009 6:30 PM EST


Penn State Nittany Lions 13-4 (2-2)		#7 Michigan State Spartans 13-2 (3-0)

If you're in State College tonight get your butt up to the Jordan Center and support the team against a highly ranked and heavily favored opponent. The game will also be televised on the BTN at 6:30 PM ET. Team stats after the jump.

Michigan State Team Stats

Spartans Basketball Schedule

Next 5 Games

@ Penn St.	Wed 01/14	6:30 PM EST
Illinois	Sat 01/17	4:00 PM EST
Northwestern	Wed 01/21	6:30 PM EST
@ Ohio St.	Sun 01/25	3:45 PM EST
@ Iowa	Thu 01/29	7:05 PM EST

Last 5 Games

Kansas	Sat 01/10	W 75 - 62
Ohio St.	Tue 01/06	W 67 - 58
@ Northwestern	Sat 01/03	W 77 - 66
@ Minnesota	Wed 12/31	W 70 - 58
@ Oakland, Mich.	Sat 12/27	W 82 - 66

			FG			3PT			FT			Rebounds			Misc
	G	M	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	Off	Def	Tot	Ast	TO	Stl	Blk	PF	PPG
Raymar Morgan	15	26.9	5.5	9.4	58.9	0.3	0.9	28.6	3.7	5.3	70.0	2.6	4.5	7.1	1.5	2.5	0.7	0.4	2.6	15.1
Kalin Lucas	15	30.4	4.2	10.7	39.1	1.1	2.5	45.9	4.3	5.5	79.3	0.2	1.6	1.8	5.7	1.2	1.1	0.3	1.3	13.9
Chris Allen	15	19.9	3.5	8.9	39.1	1.9	5.1	37.7	1.4	1.9	72.4	0.7	1.8	2.5	1.5	1.2	0.6	0.0	1.4	10.3
Goran Suton	9	23.7	3.7	6.2	58.9	0.6	1.0	55.6	1.3	1.8	75.0	3.2	3.6	6.8	1.0	1.3	1.0	0.2	2.8	9.2
Durrell Summers	15	20.1	2.9	6.6	43.4	1.1	2.4	47.2	1.3	1.8	70.4	1.3	2.3	3.6	0.8	1.4	0.8	0.5	1.7	8.1
Travis Walton	15	27.5	2.7	6.1	44.6	0.2	0.3	60.0	0.7	1.3	55.0	0.9	1.6	2.5	3.0	1.7	1.1	0.0	2.6	6.4
Delvon Roe	15	16.7	2.1	3.8	54.4	0.0	0.0	0.0	1.2	3.1	39.1	2.1	3.2	5.3	1.0	1.1	0.5	0.9	2.4	5.3
Marquise Gray	15	13.2	1.8	2.9	62.8	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.9	1.4	61.9	1.2	2.7	3.9	0.6	1.3	0.2	0.6	1.7	4.5
Korie Lucious	15	8.3	1.0	2.6	38.5	0.7	1.9	34.5	0.3	0.5	71.4	0.0	0.8	0.8	1.6	1.3	0.2	0.1	0.9	3.0
Draymond Green	15	8.7	0.8	1.7	46.2	0.0	0.1	0.0	0.5	0.8	66.7	0.7	1.9	2.6	0.8	0.4	0.5	0.3	1.4	2.1
Austin Thornton	12	5.4	0.6	1.5	38.9	0.3	1.1	30.8	0.4	0.7	62.5	0.2	0.9	1.1	0.4	0.3	0.3	0.0	0.6	1.9
Tom Herzog	6	2.8	0.3	0.5	66.7	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.7	1.2	57.1	0.5	1.2	1.7	0.2	0.0	0.0	0.5	0.5	1.3
Isaiah Dahlman	9	2.2	0.3	0.8	42.9	0.1	0.3	33.3	0.1	0.3	33.3	0.3	0.4	0.8	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.1	0.9
Idong Ibok	12	8.4	0.2	0.4	40.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.3	0.5	66.7	0.4	0.7	1.1	0.4	0.6	0.0	0.3	1.3	0.7
Jon Crandell	3	1.3	0.3	0.3	100.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.7
Mike Kebler	4	1.3	0.3	0.3	100.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.3	0.0	0.3	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.5
	15	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	1.9	1.7	3.6	0.0	0.3	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0

Penn State Nittany Lions Team Stats

Nittany Lions Basketball Schedule

Next 5 Games

Michigan St.	Wed 01/14	6:30 PM EST
@ Indiana	Sat 01/17	6:00 PM EST
Michigan	Tue 01/20	9:00 PM EST
Iowa	Sat 01/24	6:05 PM EST
@ Michigan St.	Sun 02/01	12:00 PM EST

Last 5 Games

@ Minnesota	Sun 01/11	L 59 - 79
Purdue	Tue 01/06	W 67 - 64
@ Wisconsin	Sat 01/03	L 61 - 65
Northwestern	Wed 12/31	W 61 - 57
Sacred Heart	Tue 12/23	W 73 - 65

			FG			3PT			FT			Rebounds			Misc
	G	M	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	Off	Def	Tot	Ast	TO	Stl	Blk	PF	PPG
Talor Battle	17	36.6	5.8	13.2	44.0	2.8	6.7	41.2	4.5	6.4	70.4	1.1	4.8	5.9	5.5	2.1	1.5	0.1	1.9	18.9
Stanley Pringle	16	29.6	5.3	10.6	49.4	2.3	4.4	51.4	1.8	2.3	80.6	0.7	2.1	2.8	3.1	1.8	1.4	0.2	2.0	14.6
Jamelle Cornley	17	34.0	5.7	11.4	50.0	0.4	0.8	42.9	2.2	3.9	56.1	2.0	4.9	6.9	1.2	1.9	0.4	0.2	1.7	13.9
Danny Morrissey	16	20.1	2.1	5.6	37.1	1.4	4.3	32.4	0.6	0.8	75.0	0.4	1.4	1.8	1.7	1.0	0.6	0.0	1.5	6.1
Andrew Jones III	17	24.2	2.2	3.9	55.2	0.0	0.0	0.0	1.1	1.9	57.6	2.2	3.4	5.6	0.2	1.0	0.7	0.5	2.2	5.5
David Jackson	17	23.9	1.6	4.3	38.4	0.2	1.1	16.7	1.6	2.2	73.7	1.8	2.1	3.9	0.9	1.4	0.5	0.4	2.2	5.1
Jeff Brooks	16	17.1	1.4	3.8	38.3	0.3	0.8	41.7	0.8	1.2	63.2	1.4	2.5	3.9	0.8	0.9	0.3	0.3	1.9	3.9
Cammeron Woodyard	13	8.3	0.9	1.8	50.0	0.6	1.2	53.3	0.2	0.3	50.0	0.4	0.8	1.2	0.2	0.5	0.2	0.0	0.5	2.6
Chris Babb	12	9.0	0.6	2.3	25.0	0.4	1.9	21.7	0.4	0.8	55.6	0.3	0.8	1.1	0.7	0.6	0.3	0.0	0.3	2.0
Steve Kirkpatrick	6	2.8	0.3	1.7	20.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.3	0.5	0.8	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.2	0.7
Will Leiner	7	3.4	0.0	0.3	0.0	0.0	0.1	0.0	0.0	0.3	0.0	0.0	0.1	0.1	0.4	0.3	0.3	0.0	0.7	0.0
Adam Highberger	4	3.3	0.0	0.5	0.0	0.0	0.5	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.5	0.5	0.3	0.3	0.0	0.0	0.5	0.0
	17	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	1.8	1.8	3.5	0.0	0.1	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0

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Comments

It's pretty simple call for this one...

Lions are going to get blown out of the building. No dreams of a magical upset this year. The Spartans are too deep, too focused, and too talented this year to trip up with a mental mistake like they did last year. This is the same team that went to Minnesota and whipped Tubby Smith’s boys by 12. Anyone remember what happened when we made the same trip?

by mattchu09 on Jan 14, 2009 4:12 PM EST reply actions

Nice predicition...

NOT!

by PennStateBasketball on Jan 15, 2009 7:39 AM EST up reply actions

Who knows

maybe the refs will be generous and give us another 51 free throw attempts like last year. Sadly, we would probably only make 26 of them. (last year we only hit 34 of them)

Mike
Black Shoe Diaries

by BSD on Jan 14, 2009 4:15 PM EST reply actions

As a nittany lion nation

we can only hope and pray we get a late christmas present from the refs in the form of endless foul calls. If the lions try to run with the Spartans they are going to get killed, the key to this game is going to be to slow the game down into half courts sets. In that situation however, we don’t match up very well with the Spartan big men inside. Best bet is to be efficient in the half court sets, and try a matchup zone to force the Spartans to beat you from the outside.

by mattchu09 on Jan 14, 2009 4:19 PM EST reply actions

My simple keys to the game

I hope everything we shoot goes in and everything they shoot doesn’t. If that happens I’m pretty sure we’ll win.

Mike
Black Shoe Diaries

by BSD on Jan 14, 2009 4:22 PM EST up reply actions

My simple key to the game

lock Andrew Ott in the locker room and don’t let him out until 9:30pm tonight.

PSU Softball

by QBsneak12 on Jan 14, 2009 4:46 PM EST up reply actions

I like where your head is at...

by mattchu09 on Jan 14, 2009 4:26 PM EST reply actions

Spend another 2 hours watching

the team pass the ball five times around the outside perimeter, only to drain the shot 30% of the time?

Yeah, I guess I’ll watch. But I want to see some penetration ;-)

by Mr. Rosewater on Jan 14, 2009 4:27 PM EST reply actions

That's what she said

OOOOOOH!!!!

Mike
Black Shoe Diaries

by BSD on Jan 14, 2009 4:49 PM EST up reply actions

The Penn State Basketball = Basketball Bukkake

Lots of rim shots, no penetration.

ZOIKS!!

by Mr. Rosewater on Jan 14, 2009 5:05 PM EST up reply actions

I remember watching last year's game

with all my MSU friends. I felt so dirty after that game. Like I was glad PSU won, but felt like the refs just handed it to us. What was it, like 50 – 11 foul shot discrepancy? Not saying that MSU didn’t necessarily cause a lot of those fouls, but it was hard to really feel like Penn State earned that win.

by The JuggerNitt on Jan 14, 2009 5:28 PM EST reply actions

Good showing

I’m not optimistic that PSU will win tonight, but I want them to keep the game close. If they can make MSU earn the win, it could come back to help them come NCAA tourney selection time. And yes that would mean the Lions would have to reach 20-25 wins first.

by mgr135 on Jan 14, 2009 5:41 PM EST reply actions

I feel like

We have a habit of playing really shitty and then surprisingly good, i.e. unpredictable and inconsistent, Im not claiming a win tonight, but I wouldn’t be shocked. After how shitty we were against Minnesota, we could play our best tonight. The biggest thing we need to learn is how to consistently play up to our ability. We have gotten significantly better talent recently, now its just getting it to stick

by Roland86 on Jan 14, 2009 6:30 PM EST reply actions

Nice recovery

From a terrible start.

by Roland86 on Jan 14, 2009 6:49 PM EST reply actions

Also, Nice crowd

by Roland86 on Jan 14, 2009 6:50 PM EST reply actions

I was getting concerned

gotta keep it up

by GiveitToRoyster on Jan 14, 2009 6:52 PM EST reply actions

Izzo cant watch the BTN

hilarious that izzo cannot watch the BTN cause all he sees are promos of last year’s game

by GiveitToRoyster on Jan 14, 2009 7:01 PM EST reply actions

Im glad

It eats at him this much. Love it.

by Roland86 on Jan 14, 2009 7:14 PM EST up reply actions

Crucial final few minutes

Gotta finish the half on a run if we wanna stay in this one

by GiveitToRoyster on Jan 14, 2009 7:11 PM EST reply actions

Crap

by GiveitToRoyster on Jan 14, 2009 7:17 PM EST reply actions

Feeling a lot like the Minnesota Game

Still in the game but Michigan State is shooting so well we wont stand much of a chance if they keep it up

by GiveitToRoyster on Jan 14, 2009 7:28 PM EST reply actions

COME ON

let’s get a strong start to the second half

by GiveitToRoyster on Jan 14, 2009 7:38 PM EST reply actions

when did they start the clap we are clap penn state clap chants?

by psupride on Jan 14, 2009 7:38 PM EST reply actions

last year

by GiveitToRoyster on Jan 14, 2009 7:39 PM EST up reply actions

Thanks – I haven’t watched many b-ball games

by psupride on Jan 14, 2009 7:41 PM EST reply actions

I don’t blame you……

JoePa in '09

by JGuiher on Jan 14, 2009 7:57 PM EST up reply actions

game is gettin good

3 minutes or so to go… lets see if they can keep up the comeback!

Zac @ http://erieisforlovers.wordpress.com

by erieisforlovers on Jan 14, 2009 8:25 PM EST reply actions

within 2!!!

lets go D

Zac @ http://erieisforlovers.wordpress.com

by erieisforlovers on Jan 14, 2009 8:28 PM EST reply actions

its only 2!

Onward to the Rose Bowl!!!!!
Trapped in the SF Bay area.....nothing like kickoff at 9 am.

by bconway6 on Jan 14, 2009 8:28 PM EST reply actions

haha

boob here, loving the choke…choke..choke chant.

Onward to the Rose Bowl!!!!!
Trapped in the SF Bay area.....nothing like kickoff at 9 am.

by bconway6 on Jan 14, 2009 8:30 PM EST reply actions

err, noob...

but afraid i proved my point anyway.

Onward to the Rose Bowl!!!!!
Trapped in the SF Bay area.....nothing like kickoff at 9 am.

by bconway6 on Jan 14, 2009 8:30 PM EST up reply actions

71-70!!!

count it!

Zac @ http://erieisforlovers.wordpress.com

by erieisforlovers on Jan 14, 2009 8:31 PM EST reply actions

Need these FT's!

Onward to the Rose Bowl!!!!!
Trapped in the SF Bay area.....nothing like kickoff at 9 am.

by bconway6 on Jan 14, 2009 8:37 PM EST reply actions

Got them both

Onward to the Rose Bowl!!!!!
Trapped in the SF Bay area.....nothing like kickoff at 9 am.

by bconway6 on Jan 14, 2009 8:37 PM EST up reply actions

wow

making free throws down the stretch… i should have recorded this game

Zac @ http://erieisforlovers.wordpress.com

by erieisforlovers on Jan 14, 2009 8:37 PM EST reply actions

arrrrrrrgh

horrible turnover!!!

Zac @ http://erieisforlovers.wordpress.com

by erieisforlovers on Jan 14, 2009 8:39 PM EST reply actions

that's a foul

at least it looked like one.

by STU Boy on Jan 14, 2009 8:40 PM EST reply actions

outch

Onward to the Rose Bowl!!!!!
Trapped in the SF Bay area.....nothing like kickoff at 9 am.

by bconway6 on Jan 14, 2009 8:41 PM EST reply actions

missed free throw...

with 9 seconds left… thats more like it… sigh

Zac @ http://erieisforlovers.wordpress.com

by erieisforlovers on Jan 14, 2009 8:43 PM EST reply actions

Crap.

Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. But I’ll take it.

by Tailgate Shogun on Jan 14, 2009 8:44 PM EST reply actions

Great effort

turnover when down by two killed us

by GiveitToRoyster on Jan 14, 2009 8:46 PM EST reply actions

indeed

it was a sloppy turnover, too. Sure they were playing good defense, but it wasn’t like they stripped him of the ball, he just lost control during the pick & roll. If we tied it up there it would have been a MUCH better situation than giving them a 4 point lead. By the way, my keys to the game are “you gotta outscore your opponent” and “you can’t let your opponent score more points than you”. I could be the John Madden of basketball!!!

by The JuggerNitt on Jan 15, 2009 9:04 AM EST up reply actions

lack of bigs

you can not rotate 3 big men and not expect to get killed on the glass. you will get worn down and beaten to submission.

by STU Boy on Jan 14, 2009 8:49 PM EST reply actions

that sucked

but they gave it a hell of a shot… they were down 19 at one point i believe, and they came back all the way within 1. Good showing guys, just not quite enough.

On a side note, i love the Big 10 Network… i got to see MAYBE 1 PSU basketball game a year before, and now most of them are on TV and i can actually follow the team and feel like a fan.

Zac @ http://erieisforlovers.wordpress.com

by erieisforlovers on Jan 14, 2009 8:50 PM EST reply actions

I second that about the Big 10 Network

but doesn’t it stop being free soon? I know back in the summer they announced it would be free until such and such a time (I thought it was til New Years, but I guess I’m wrong) at which point it goes back to the premium sports tier. Of course I’ll still have to pick up that friggen tier, even though I spent all my $ on PSU football, but I hope they keep it free.

by The JuggerNitt on Jan 15, 2009 8:58 AM EST up reply actions

also, I love the timing

I can now watch Penn State actually play some good basketball, and instead of seeming like a fair weather fan I can just pass it off as now I finally get the games on TV ;-)

by The JuggerNitt on Jan 15, 2009 9:02 AM EST up reply actions

Good game, too bad we didn’t pull it through but I thought it was respectable. It was great to see the crowd into it.

by millzners on Jan 14, 2009 9:35 PM EST reply actions

I did my duty

And went to the game. Crowd was great, especially considering the weather. There are enough people in this area that the BJC could be a great atmosphere every night.

Good game, Cornley played with a ton of heart. Battle showed some immaturity at times-can’t let the refs bother him so much.

I think this is the best team we’ve had since I started at PSU in 1998 (yes better than that 2001 team which I think was a fluky team that got hot at the right time). They’ve got to get some quality wins now. I see the next three games as basically must wins.

by speedomike on Jan 14, 2009 9:42 PM EST reply actions

ESPN

The write-up spoke well of the team and the crowd

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=290140213

by mgr135 on Jan 14, 2009 10:05 PM EST reply actions

How was the crowd tonight?

Since that’s been a focus on BSD this week.
I hope it was electric.

by NJ lion on Jan 14, 2009 10:06 PM EST reply actions

Crowd...

was great, biggest I’ve seen in a while. My friends on the team have had that as one of their complaints, they really can’t say no one supports them.

If we were as clutch with free throws as they were, I think we would be celebrating a victory now. Sucks to be a fan and always see your team come up short.

One of these days though I’ll see my team shine.

I was out in the trenches, which enables me to paint such a powerful picture, like Apocalypse Now.-Cormega

by OMEGAMAN on Jan 14, 2009 10:20 PM EST reply actions

I don't know if it was so much them being clutch with the free throws

so much as we kept fouling their friggen best free throw shooter.

by The JuggerNitt on Jan 15, 2009 9:01 AM EST up reply actions

That dude was 100% on the night wasn’t he? Or maybe like 11/12 or something. Damnit.

by millzners on Jan 15, 2009 9:17 AM EST up reply actions

Like I said at the begining of the thread

we should have p;ayed the zone defense the whole game. The best way to beat the Spartans is to slow the game down and make them beat you in full shot clock, half court sets. The last 12-13 minutes or so, Ed decided to finally buckle down and play some match up zone, and look at the fits it gave the Spartans. We were down 17 and through defense and overall solid offensive play, we climbed back into that game. If it weren’t for a slightly overzealous dribble drive by Pringle, combined with a good pick pocket by travis walton, we have a chance to walk away with a W last night. Oh well, the Lions definitely have a shot to be in a scrum in the middle of the Big Ten and a chance at one of the possible 5 teams we will hopefully send to the dance.

by mattchu09 on Jan 15, 2009 9:28 AM EST reply actions