No. 19 Michigan State routs Rider 77-45
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Yep, it was just Rider.
But it was just Navy less than two weeks earlier, getting many quality looks against Michigan State's defense and making enough to push the Spartans to the final seconds before falling 64-59.
If tonight's Orlando Classic quarterfinal at HP Field House told any kind of story, it was one of a team starting to figure out how to defend others. The No. 19 Spartans held the Broncs to 11 first-half points on four first-half field goals, led by as many as 35 and cruised to a 77-45 win.
"Communication, helping each other," MSU coach Tom Izzo said of the difference now vs. then. "We are really jumping to the ball. We are really taking away a lot of those gaps. I think we've been talking on the ball screens. I think our guards have been pressing up a lot more when they need to.
"My assistant coaches really have done a great job on the scouting reports. Because we're so, so young and we're so inexperienced together that we're doing everything to the scouting report more than we are just concepts and principles. And I've got to give them a lot of credit for what they've done."
Among his players, he gave the most credit to junior guard Denzel Valentine, who "played as well defensively as any guard I've had for a while."
Valentine also led the way offensively with a much-needed hot shooting night, going 5-for-8 from three-point range and scoring 17 of his game-high 19 points in the second half.
MSU (4-1) will play in the semifinals Friday (ESPN2) against 3-2 Marquette, who defeated Georgia Tech in the late game.
In the other semifinal, No. 12 Kansas (3-1) will take on Tennessee (2-1) on ESPN. The Jayhawks beat Rhode Island, 76-60, in the quarterfinals and the Volunteers got past Santa Clara, 64-57.
Though Izzo was displeased again with an easing of intensity in the second half – the Broncs got loose for 34 points after the break – his team was mostly attentive, cohesive and suffocating on the defensive end.
"Me and Trav(is Trice) have really taken it upon us to set the tone (defensively), and the team has followed," Valentine said. "Our bigs have done a great job of forcing guys out and not letting bigs get going, in the first half at least. Just helping each other out and knowing we're gonna be there."
Rider helped by clanking too many of the decent looks it did manage. The Broncs shot 25.8% from the floor and were just 1-for-13 from three-point range. Their lone bright spot was 7-footer Matt Lopez, who scored 14.
And MSU was able to turn good defense into offense, getting out in transition and spreading the ball and scoring around as usual.
Junior transfer Bryn Forbes had his best offensive night of the season with 15 points. Trice and reserve big man Gavin Schilling both had 10 points, and freshman forward Marvin Clark Jr. had eight in his second straight start.
He started in place of senior Branden Dawson, who missed Monday's win against Santa Clara with an illness and was able to come off the bench for 16 minutes Thursday. He had three points and six rebounds.
Matt Costello had six points and nine rebounds for the Spartans, who got help from former walk-ons Colby Wollenman and Keenan Wetzel. Alvin Ellis (ankle) and Javon Bess (foot) both sat out again for MSU.
Joe Rexrode writes for the Detroit Free Press.
