Tag: msu vs virginia tech

Game Recap: MSU Basketball coughs up 71-66 loss to Virginia Tech

Michigan State Basketball lost to Virginia Tech 71-66 in frustration fashion. Here is a quick game recap for anyone that missed the game.

Michigan State Basketball lost in frustrating fashion to the Virginia Tech Hokies, 71-66 in the opening round of the Maui Jim Maui Invitational. This game was incredibly close all throughout. The Spartans played right into the hands of the Hokies in the first half. Then in the second, things only got worse.

Here is a quick recap of this game:

First Half

Boy, the first half was pretty rough. One stretch was so bad that MSU only shot one of nine from the floor. Even worse, Cassius Winston had zero points in the first half. That is just not good. The Spartans need other players to provide positive plays besides Winston. If Cassius struggles, Michigan State is vulnerable, to say the least.

Virginia Tech defended transition points quite well. They made sure to get all five players back on defense each and every possession. Meanwhile, Winston racked up two fouls and had to sit early on. This brought in Foster Loyer and put Rocket Watts at the PG position.

Rocket drilled a three right in front of the Virginia Tech bench. Unfortunately, he also turned the ball over twice on back to back possessions. This brought the turnover total to 10 before the end of the first half. Virginia Tech simply spaced the floor against MSU. The Spartans could not stop helping on driving defenders. As a result, the Hokies hit threes at a solid clip in the first half.

Virginia Tech pulled ahead at the half, 32-28.

Second Half

The second half was even more frustrating than the first. Michigan State shot themselves in the foot time after time in the second half. I can’t tell you what was worse between the sloppy offense and unintelligent defense. MSU opened the second half with more turnovers and blown defensive assignments.

Virginia Tech tallied seven three with nine minutes left in the game. One three came as the result of Thomas Kithier leaving his defensive assignment wide open in the corner for a three. On the other end, Michigan State continued to cough up the ball to Virginia Tech. The Spartans totaled 16 turnovers with nearly five minutes left in the game, yikes.

Despite turnovers and missed three-point shots, MSU kept this game close down to the very end. Gabe Brown hit a clutch corner three to bring the game to 59-52, Virginia Tech’s lead. Winston later hit a three in transition to bring the Spartans within four points.

Two minutes left in the game and Landers Nolley stepped up big for Virginia Tech. Nolley came down and scored a bucket right at the rim through two MSU defenders. On the other end, Xavier Tillman put the ball on the floor then kicked it out to a wide-open Aaron Henry for three. This bucket brought Michigan State within one, 65-64.

Unfortunately, Landers Nolley came right back with a three of his own. He scored back to back buckets to put his team ahead. Spartan Guard Kyle Ahrens drove baseline and scored, but, it did little to help the Spartans. Wabissa Bede grabbed the board. MSU tried to extend the game with intentional fouls to no avail.

Where did this game go wrong? Turnovers, Virginia Tech threes, and Winston’s poor play. I know, I hate to say it too. Cassius is the leader of this team though. He cannot score only seven points on 2-8 shooting from the floor.

Michigan State plays against Georgia tomorrow at 2:30 P.M. You can catch this game on ESPN2 as well.

Stay locked on SpartansWire for more coverage to come.

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MSU Basketball squares off against Virginia Tech: Five Most Important Players

Michigan State plays Virginia Tech in the first round of the Maui Jim Maui Invitational. Here are the five most important Spartan players.

Folks, it’s that special time of year. The Maui Jim Maui Invitational is here! Michigan State faces off against the Virginia Tech Hokies in the first round at the Lahaina Civic Center tomorrow at 5 P.M.

Here are the five most important players for MSU in this game:

Xavier Tillman

Outside of the talent disparity, Virginia Tech’s roster is not all that different from Kentucky’s roster. They have a strong Guard rotation on the perimeter. Down low though, Virginia Tech lacks depth. Michigan State must take advantage of this flaw. This is why Xavier Tillman is the most important Spartan in this game.

Tillman is averaging 12 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 2.3 assists on 48.6% shooting from the floor. Xavier should clean the glass all game long. Virginia Tech’s defense will close in on Tillman and this frees up the guards. He must inflict his will upon this game.

Aaron Henry

As I noted in my scouting report, Landers Nolley is the best Hokies basketball player. Cassius Winston and Rocket Watts are the better Guard defenders, but, both are too smaller for Nolley. Henry appeared to hurt both of his ankles in a freak play against Charleston Southern. After the game, Henry stated he was completely fine.

I think Izzo will call on Henry to matchup against Landers. Nolley has a slightly bigger frame than Henry. Henry stands at 6’6″ and Nolley stands at 6’7″. What’s most important is that Aaron can keep with Landers driving to the rim. How Henry handles this matchup is huge for Michigan State.

Malik Hall

Malik Hall is not just fun to watch, he is now vital to the Spartan’s offense. Hall makes high-energy plays on the boards in every single game. All the while, he can shoot the three at a very effective clip.

Much like Tillman, I expect Hall to have quite the game against Virginia Tech. He can exploit the lack of Forward depth by stretching out the defense. This opens up the lane for Winston to attack. Meanwhile, he’s washing windows all day long.

Gabe Brown

Gabe Brown’s importance in this game is quite similar to Aaron Henry’s importance. As a 6’7″ Forward, Brown will be asked to guard Landers Nolley at various points in this game. He must be ready for this responsibility. We all know him for high flying dunks. Can he defend at a high level against a spectacular scorer like Nolley? We’re all about to find out.

Foster Loyer

Okay, hear me out. I know fans think Foster Loyer has underperformed this year, but, that does not shrink his level of importance. As I mentioned earlier, the Virginia Tech roster is guard-heavy. Cassius Winston can only play so many minutes. So MSU will call on Foster Loyer at certain points in this game.

Loyer certainly must play better in this game than he has so far on the year. He needs to shoot the ball better from a distance. More importantly, he must play with confidence. Loyer can pass and can attack the rim. His development as a secondary playmaker to Winston is crucial for the Spartans.

You’ll note, I did not include Cassius Winston on this list. At this point, Winston is consistent in performance. He will show up against Virginia Tech. It’s more important for all of his Spartan teammates also play at a high level. Kentucky trapped Winston as much as possible and forced the ball out of his hands. He will rely heavily on teammates to deliver on crucial possessions

Michigan State takes on Virginia Tech tomorrow at 5 P.M. You can catch this game on ESPN2.

Stay with us on SpartansWire for coverage of this game and all the Spartan basketball info you need.

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MSU vs. Virginia Tech: Three Things To Watch

Michigan State Basketball takes on Virginia Tech in the first round of the Maui Jim Maui Invitational. Here are three things to watch.

The Maui Jim Maui invitational kicks off on Nov. 25 and the Spartans are in action against the Virginia Tech Hokies. This will be a true test for Michigan State as the Hokies are 5-0 on the season.

Here are three things to watch in this game:

Guard Matchups

There are six forwards and nine guards on the Virginia Tech roster. Guards do a lot for the Hokies on a nightly basis. As a result, Michigan State must dominate on the perimeter defensively to win this game. If not, It is likely that Virginia Tech walks away with a victory.

One player, in particular, stands out as a potential defensive nightmare for the Spartans. Freshman Landers Nolley is a 6’7″ Guard and can score both at the rim and from a distance. His height is the biggest issue for Michigan State. Cassius Winston and Rocket Watts are not tall enough to guard Nolley effectively.

Tom Izzo must scheme against Nolley with smart matchups. Maybe he throws a combination of Aaron Henry and Gabe Brown out against Nolley. Trapping Landers Nolley should be a top priority for MSU. I’d make everyone else on that Hokies roster step up.

Big Man Dominance

Michigan State should take advantage of Virginia Tech’s lack of big man talent. First of all, Xavier Tillman can eat in this game. I’m talking 20 plus points and 10 or more boards. Throw in a few assists as well. He will be the determining factor for the Spartans against the Hokies.

Beyond Tillman, look for Hall & Marble to get some important minutes. I think that Marble looked great against Charleston Southern and should get some minutes in this game. Malik Hall has shown why he deserves to play heavy minutes with his three-point shooting and hustle around the rim.

Gabe Brown Dunks

Gabe Brown is so much fun to watch. He charges at the rim with overwhelming ferocity whenever given the chance. Watch for this to continue in this game and every other game for MSU. Brown’s energy clearly lifts up this team. Don’t believe so? Watch his teammate’s reactions during the next big dunk. They love it and so do the fans.

Michigan State plays against Virginia Tech at 5 P.M. Eastern Time. We will have more coverage before this game, during, and after. Stay locked on SpartansWire for all the info you need.

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MSU Basketball vs. Virginia Tech: Scouting Report

Michigan State Basketball faces off against Virginia Tech on Monday, Nov. 25 in Hawaii. Here is a scouting report of the Hokies team.

Michigan State basketball has landed in Hawaii for the Maui Invitational. Their first game is against the undefeated, 5-0, Virginia Tech Hokies on Monday, Nov. 25. This will be a tough out for the Spartans as the Hokies boast a solid roster.

Here is a scouting report of the Virginia Tech Basketball team:

Landers Nolley

Let’s start with the best player on the Hokies roster, Landers Nolley. Nolley is a 6’7″, 230-pound freshman Guard from Atlanta, GA. Yes, you read that right. Nolley is a towering guard that scores from all levels. He can get to the basket with dribble moves and shoots long-range shots at an efficient clip.

Nolley will be a test for Michigan State on defense. If healthy, Aaron Henry will definitely guard Nolley for most of this game. If not, MSU might be in trouble. So far, Nolley leads his team with 20.2 points per game. He also averages 4.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.2 steals. Most impressive, he is shooting 45.9% from three-point land and 50% from the field.

The Landers Nolley matchup is quite an interesting one. We’ll have to wait and see what Izzo cooks up.

Small Ball Domination

As I mentioned earlier, the Hokies are 5-0 on the year.  their guards lead the team in numerous statistical categories. Virginia Tech guards lead the team in points, assists, steals, and even rebounds! So there is no doubt that Virginia Tech will run some sort of small-ball lineup.

Junior Guard Wabissa Bede leads the Hokies in both assists and steals with eight and 1.4 respectively. He is a perfect balance to Nolley’s impressive offensive skills. Wabissa handles the other teams best guard on the perimeter. That way, Nolley does not need to carry the team on both ends.

Wabissa also shoulders the playmaking load with that staggering eight assists. For comparison, Cassius Winston is averaging 7.0 assists on the year. Virginia Tech’s next leading scorer behind Nolley is freshman Guard Nahiem Alleyne. He averages 12.6 points on 46% from the floor.

Lastly, it is important to point out freshman Tyrece Radford. At 6’2″, Radford leads Virginia Tech in rebounds with seven per game. Now, this means Michigan State can dominate down low. Both Malik Hall and Xavier Tillman can clean the glass all game long for the Spartans.

Michigan State takes on Virginia Tech at 5 P.M. Eastern Time. You can catch this game on ESPN 2.

Stay locked on Spartans Wire for more coverage of this game and all things MSU basketball.

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