Film Review

DK’s Film Review and Hodgman’s Hoop Thoughts: Duke

MSU through three games has shown that they should comfortably be in the top ten discussion across college basketball. Defensively this team has shown to have ELITE components that could headline one of the best defensive teams Izzo has ever had. The offense continues to be a work in progress, but signs of Henry, Watts, and Hauser’s emergence are indicators that the ceiling for MSU on that side of the ball remains extremely high.

Michigan State defeated Duke 75-69 on Tuesday night giving MSU their FIRST win at Cameron Indoor in program history. On a night where the Spartans overcame early struggles to take control and never look back, Rocket Watts led the Spartans in scoring with 20 points while five other Spartans scored in double-figures. Aaron Henry again did everything on both sides of the floor finishing with 14 points, five assists, five rebounds, and steals, while both Joey Hauser (11 points, 10 rebounds) and Malik Hall (10 points, 10 rebounds) collected double-doubles. Julius Marble was also a surprise contributor, finishing the game with 12 points and providing a crucial scoring punch during MSU’s early slog.

Three-Headed Monster: Henry, Watts and Hauser 

We discussed at the conclusion of the Notre Dame film review that the largest query facing the Spartans heading into the season was replacing the scoring and facilitation lost from Cassius Winston and Xavier Tillman.  What we saw from the first two games, in that the trio of Aaron Henry, Joey Hauser, and Rocket Watts were capable of collectively shouldering this burden, has now become cemented following a successful heavyweight bout with Duke.

Henry is the clear-cut two-way anchor for this team. As evidenced by his role on and off the court this game, he has fully embraced the mantle of responsibility of his Captainship. He set the tone early for Michigan State by proving he could get downhill at will, and showed an aggressiveness that he rarely has exhibited in his career in the green and white. While he and Watts both ended up as higher volume scorers this game (Henry went 7/21 and Watts 7/16), this came out of necessity rather than selfishness. Duke’s defense made it extremely difficult to run sets and Henry and Watts both were forced to attack individual ball pressure by going hard to the rack. 

While there were at times questionable shot selections, what they proved, along with Hauser (who went an efficient 4/6 from the field and 2/3 from deep), is that MSU has a trio of shot creators that are willing and able to manufacture offense when the opposing defense takes away their initial options. This is particularly crucial for a loaded Big Ten conference where the coaches are intimately familiar with offensive sets, and even more so in the tournament when teams are forced to adapt on the fly. 

The film cut below is a combination of the scoring, facilitating, and ball movement between Henry/Hauser/Watts which highlight how their complementary skill sets blend together, each making the other’s job easier. They all can create off the dribble in various ways- Watts has the ball on a string, using his quick twitch first step and lateral ability to create space, Henry leans on his athleticism, improved handle, and physicality to get to his spots, and Hauser is patient, methodical, and fundamental. It’s a wealth of riches and when you see it all in sequence you realize just how potent MSU’s offense (which is just scratching the surface) can be.

Hall and Hauser Hold Jalen Johnson at Bay 

Jalen Johnson came into Tuesday night’s game as the number one player Michigan State needed to stop and limit in terms of offensive efficiency. While David predicted and I agreed that Henry would be a large part of that effort, it became clear early on in the game that Henry’s efforts running the offensive side of the ball would be paramount to MSU’s success. It also became clear that the combination of Joey Hauser and more significantly Malik Hall were capable of keeping Johnson in check. 

After going 8/8 against Coppin State, Johnson finished the night with 11 points going 4/11 from the field and 0/2 from three. He struggled around the basket, constantly getting swarmed which led him to settle for difficult shots throughout the night. In game one he secured 19 boards, but finished with only four against MSU as Duke’s entire offense ground to a halt while Johnson grappled to find a semblance of consistency.

At the core of Johnson’s offensive struggles was Malik Hall. His increased ability to guard in space on the perimeter with his lateral quickness combined with the added strength he placed on his frame in the offseason has made Hall the second most versatile defender behind Henry on MSU’s roster. Not giving an inch to Johnson or Matthew Hurt, contesting shots without fouling, and rebounding with a ferocity that has become his calling card. Hall was simply put, spectacular. 

Hauser after entering MSU’s program with questions regarding his defensive reliability held up remarkably well against the matchups offered by Duke. While he isn’t the quickest or most vertically gifted, he makes up for it by working extremely hard and taking good angles. He did a reasonable job on Johnson, performed admirably defending post entries on Hurt with the side front, is an aware help side defender in gap control, and perhaps his greatest strength is cleaning the defensive glass by actively seeking out rebounds when shots go up.

Hauser and Hall pair well and while the Big Ten conference offers some imposing low post bigs (Cockburn/TJD/Garza), MSU with this combination has the versatility to matchup with small ball lineups or force teams into defending more mobile, perimeter oriented forwards if they want to try to dictate the style of play. Michigan State hasn’t quite found a clear cut center option yet, but what they have found is that they can adapt to situational froncourt scenarios seamlessly with the plethora of options now available.

Foster Loyer Cements His Role 

Tuesday night was Foster Loyer’s first big test of the year, a true barometer to show what his role can be going forward for this team. He passed with flying colors. In 15 minutes played he not only held his own, but established himself as a competent backup in Tom Izzo’s point guard rotation by finishing the night with five points, five rebounds, and three charges drawn. Maybe most importantly of all, he looked capable of playing on the same floor as Duke’s athletes, an extremely important indicator for conference play and March. He handled the ball pressure put on him extremely well, settling the team during the early punch in the mouth in his first four minute stint, and again in the late going as Duke tried to claw back into the game.

Defensively Loyer sparked the early comeback with two charges, and throughout the game fought to stay in front of his defenders. The series on DJ Steward that David teased on Twitter Wednesday, where he jumped to the ball, turned Steward, and then walled him up with his chest before contesting the shot was unfathomable a year ago. He also had a series (shown below) where he was stuck on Jaemyn Brakefield and worked to full front him until help-side came. While he will never be a plus defender, if through his effort and his intelligence he can prevent being picked on and at least be a net neutral for what he gives you on the offensive side of the ball, he will carve out a much needed 15 minutes a night for MSU in a backup role.

Julius Marble Come out Party

Following the win at Cameron Indoor, the discussion of Michigan State’s depth has become a national conversation. In the summer we discussed Marble’s potential and his possible larger role, as well as how Izzo could settle with rotations and lineups in the frontcourt as the season progressed. Though that discussion is far from over, Julius Marble’s emergence as a HUGE scoring punch during the early period of the Duke game when MSU desperately needed one has only further strengthened the position that MSU has a lineup for every occasion. After Marcus Bingham and Thomas Kithier held the early stranglehold on minutes at the center position, the more mobile forwards of Duke dictated that Izzo find a different matchup.

Two days before Tuesday’s matchup with Duke, Marble spoke with Izzo on playing time and in response Izzo told him to stay ready. It was for good reason. After seeing the game flow early with his two more traditional centers, Izzo tapped Marble in to show him what he had. It was quite a bit. In 12 minutes Marble was a burst of offensive efficiency, helping to stem Duke’s tide in the first half and supporting the Spartans’ lead in the second. He ended the night with 12 points and went a perfect 5/5 from the field and 2/2 on his only trip to the FT line. Most impressive though was the variety of ways he managed to score. Bullying his way to the basket, hitting a soft baby hook in the middle of the paint, drop stepping to seal his position and finishing off the glass, floating out deep into the mid range on a Henry drive and knocking down a jumper, and getting out in transition and throwing it down emphatically on Matthew Hurt. While he will need to show consistency in practice and in games to continue to earn minutes, it is clear that he offers another look to MSU’s versatile frontcourt that needs to be further explored.

Final Thoughts

MSU through three games has shown that they should comfortably be in the top ten discussion across college basketball. Defensively this team has shown to have ELITE components that could headline one of the best defensive teams Izzo has ever had. The offense continues to be a work in progress, but signs of Henry, Watts, and Hauser’s emergence are indicators that the ceiling for MSU on that side of the ball remains extremely high. MSU has two tune up games before their ACC headliner with Virginia, beginning with their 5pm Friday matchup against University of Detroit Mercy. Stay tuned for UDM’s preview, dropping Friday morning!

*Edited by David Klein and Jonathan Singer; Film Cut by David Klein and Trevor Deboer

DK’s Film Review and Hodgman’s Hoop Thoughts: Duke

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