Sparty Issues

[DavenportHawk8]

I do not remember ever seeing a player get into the coaches face. Tonight it looked like a lot of MSU players were yelling or arguing with Izzo when he would try to coach them up. I mean there were situations tonight where Izzo would be coaching the kids and they would be yelling back at him.

Not a good mixture when the players are arguing with the head coach.

 

[PhantomFlyer]

I didn't see that but if this was the case then Izzo won't put up with it. Either they start playing like he demands or they will be riding the bench. This is what I respect about Izzo. He's not afraid to get in the face of even his star players when they get out of line.

 

[MepoDawg#]

A saw Costello arguing with Izzo when he got subbed out. He said post game they are going to switch the lineup. Probably isn't liking the mindset right now and how easily Iowa outplayed them both games.

 

[eb_sports]

Yep. I'm sure this has a lot to do with his talk of changing his lineup. I still think their biggest problem is a lack of athleticism compared to what they usually have. After the first MSU win, I said here that even with Valentine, the Hawks would still be more athletic than they are. The Hawks are.

 

[Chicityhawkfan]

Arguably there most talented player, Deyonta Davis, isn't really seeing the floor. I would expect that to change going forward...

 

[MogueHawk]

Seems silly they have this much turmoil with only 2 losses all year....GO HAWKS!

 

[jasonrann]

Arguably there most talented player, Deyonta Davis, isn't really seeing the floor. I would expect that to change going forward...

I was particularly glad about this. Seemed like the last game was a dunk reel for him.

 

[SDHawkDoc]

We should all be hoping for sparty to turn it on from here on out.
The only time I want to see them stumble would be to one of the conference bottom feeders.
Losses that sparty hangs on the top half of the league helps the Hawks.

 

[DanL53]

Seems silly they have this much turmoil with only 2 losses all year....GO HAWKS!

This. Is Michigan State even in turmoil? With injury troubles they've only lost to one team all year. (Twice ) Maybe that team is just having one of those fantastic years where pieces all come together to form one heck of a winning formula.

You know, like you take sulfur, charcoal, potassium nitrate...yeah none of it's that fancy by itself. but mix it up and light a match:

only bigger. Lots bigger!

 

[BBHawk]

I don't think there is all that much wrong with MI State other than they ran into a buzz saw in Iowa. They are plenty athletic. It is early, too, and I expect that they will be a lot better in February and especially March. I would expect them to be one of the top seeds in the B1G tournament. You have to remember that they were doing very well before Valentine got hurt.

 

[jerbob36]

I think Costello threw another player under the bus during that "conversation" because Izzo seemed okay with him and then walked down and yelled at another player still on the floor for switching a screen, I think.

It seems like the older Spartans have some leash to defend themselves when getting lashed, but you don't see many frosh talking back.

 

[DavenportHawk8]

Maybe I was reading too much into it, but that exchange seemed pretty heated. IDK every time they showed him interacting with a player, it looked like the player was talking back to him. One time I think it was Forbes just walked away shaking his head.

Then at the first TO, Izzo was getting into Valentines face and yelling at him. It looked like Valentine was going to go off on his coach.

IDK I realize losing sucks, but damn that is a hall of fame coach and your talking back to them. IT aint' right, got to listen and do what the coaches tell you. If that was our coaches in high school, we would be running until we puked.

 

[C/Seahawk]

Arguably there most talented player, Deyonta Davis, isn't really seeing the floor. I would expect that to change going forward...

I thought the same thing, but looking at the box score he played 25 minutes last night, a very quiet 25 minutes. Davis didn't play much in the first meeting and he is only averaging 17min a game. Perhaps he isn't practicing the way Izzo wants, but that kid is by far their most dangerous post player.

regarding the OP, I did notice some players having some interesting discussions with Izzo, notably TumTum and Costello. Didn't seem like Izzo was buying whatever they were sellin...

 

[johnnashhawk]

Maybe I was reading too much into it, but that exchange seemed pretty heated. IDK every time they showed him interacting with a player, it looked like the player was talking back to him. One time I think it was Forbes just walked away shaking his head.

Then at the first TO, Izzo was getting into Valentines face and yelling at him. It looked like Valentine was going to go off on his coach.

IDK I realize losing sucks, but damn that is a hall of fame coach and your talking back to them. IT aint' right, got to listen and do what the coaches tell you. If that was our coaches in high school, we would be running until we puked.

It's been a while since I've seen an MSU team play this poorly. Maybe IA deserves some of the credit but it's more than just us. Don't know if it's the death of Izzo's dad, team chemistry, or just a funk, but we'll see better teams than that, beginning on Sunday, I'm afraid. I expected them to have it together for us, but unless it was our switching defenses, and solid floor play, they are not a sliver of what they were earlier in the year.Imho, or course.

Maybe Fran is that good of coach.....finally has the talent and toughness to show it. National coach of the year right now. Picked to finish where in the conf, pre-season?? And I know, lots of games to be played....we'll see as we move through the schedule. some years it's when you play somebody, not who you play.

 

[C/Seahawk]

It's been a while since I've seen an MSU team play this poorly. Maybe IA deserves some of the credit but it's more than just us. Don't know if it's the death of Izzo's dad, team chemistry, or just a funk, but we'll see better teams than that, beginning on Sunday, I'm afraid. I expected them to have it together for us, but unless it was our switching defenses, and solid floor play, they are not a sliver of what they were earlier in the year.Imho, or course.

Maybe Fran is that good of coach.....finally has the talent and toughness to show it. National coach of the year right now. Picked to finish where in the conf, pre-season?? And I know, lots of games to be played....we'll see as we move through the schedule. some years it's when you play somebody, not who you play.

I wonder if coaches from the same school have every won the football and basketball coaches of the year awards? Fran is on the right track

 

[musashihawk]

Seems silly they have this much turmoil with only 2 losses all year....GO HAWKS!

Probably doesn't help that the 2 losses is to a team MSU has dominated for a good while.

 

[Ronman]

Izzo has always had a unique relationship with his players, especially the last few years.

 

[eyesofhawk]

I think jerbob and ronman have the most insight as pertains this discussion.
Izzo, more than any coach I can remember over the yrs, has allowed his players to talk back. He knows that ultimately it's the players' team and he empowers them. I can remember a few discussions between him Draymond Green that were quite heated. I guarantee it helped Green develop into what many consider to be one of the greatest leaders in the game today.
This isn't to say that allowing "talkback" is the ideal approah for everyone or that it can't get out of control and be detrimental. Just that in MSU's case, I wouldn't read much into it.