Sparty Thoughts

[tower912]

1.  I hate Vitale.
2.   Izzo has seen a zone before.   Eventually, passing high post to opposite corner with a spot up shooter is going to work.   Valentine got hot.   Zone defeated.  
3.  Good work by Duane and Deonte.   Keep it up.   Although I still have some nits to pick on Deonte.   He only moves full speed when he has the ball.  His man defense is not good.   But his offense looked good tonight.
4.   It isn't fair to expect Carlino to follow up a career night with another good shooting tonight.   He filled the stat sheet and only forced a few  shots.  
5.   Just not enough players tonight.   Sparty had more horses.   We all knew there would be nights like this.  
6.   Lots of good stuff for 26 minutes.   Second game in two nights, short bench, a couple of turnovers,  Sparty on fire....  And somehow MU pulled it together and stopped the run.   And competed.   Well coached.  
7.  A healthy Duane would have played last year.  
8.  MU didn't quit.   No shame in this result.
9.  I hate Vitale.
10.  Vegas is smart. 

[brewcity77]

You forgot...

11. I hate Vitale

[warriorfred]

I turn the volume off and Vitale is still annoying.  

A good effort on the night, and the team played with the most intensity I've seen since their 2013 Elite 8 run.  With Fischer and continued improvement from Duane Wilson and Deonte Burton, this team may have an outside shot at the tournament.

[tower912]

11. I hate Vitale.

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

This is a very likable team. Kids are fighting...fun to watch, albeit in a tough loss. I absolutely love Duane Wilson.

PS: I do not understand the Vitale hate. The guy is great for college hoops and he had nothing but great things to say about Marquette, which has been the norm for 25 years.

[Vander Blue Man Group]

I turn the volume off and Vitale is still annoying.  

A good effort on the night, and the team played with the most intensity I've seen since their 2013 Elite 8 run.  With Fischer and continued improvement from Duane Wilson and Deonte Burton, this team may have an outside shot at the tournament.

If our team progresses and improves enough over the next few months that we have a realistic (but probably slim) shot at winning the conference tourney I'll be satisfied.  I don't expect a chance at an at-large berth.  

[jesmu84]

I think this tournament as a whole is HUGE for the team.

Deonte looked much MUCH better tonight, especially rebounding.

Duane seems to be getting exponentially better every game.

Carlino wasn't shooting nearly as much, but was contributing greatly all over the court.

[PGsHeroes32]

Overall very nice.

Agreed on vitale. God he sucks.

After getting down 16 did we get it all the way back to 5?

[brewcity77]

This is a very likable team. Kids are fighting...fun to watch, albeit in a tough loss. I absolutely love Duane Wilson.

PS: I do not understand the Vitale hate. The guy is great for college hoops and he had nothing but great things to say about Marquette, which has been the norm for 25 years.

He's lazy. Doesn't know half of what he talks about. Just gets talking point notes from staffers and acts like he watches all the games. He's just there to be Dick Vitale. Like Chris Berman, he thinks his shtick is more important than his job.

[Texas Western]

Going into tonight I felt we would see a better effort from Deonte and he delivered partially. We are going to need him playing well in the conference.

MSU had too many wide open looks. We just have to keep improving on defense.

[PGsHeroes32]

In the first half vitale raved about how you couldn't even tell Dawson had been sick.

Second half he made a mistake "o man you can really tell he's feeling the sickness. But he's fighting he's a player".

Shut up dicky.

[muwarrior69]

He's lazy. Doesn't know half of what he talks about. Just gets talking point notes from staffers and acts like he watches all the games. He's just there to be Dick Vitale. Like Chris Berman, he thinks his shtick is more important than his job.

Yup! No one comes close to Dick Enberg and Al.

[nyg]

Good effort, but don't have the manpower to keep up

Tenn., Wisc., and Arizona St next three.  Will be tough.

JJJ, Du Wilson and Cohen need to put on some weight. Thin compared to other players.

DuWilson is next year's point guard.  SG-JJJ, with Cheatham and Nick N.  Dawson is a goner.

Even though it may be worst season in long time, this is awesome experience for the youngsters playing teams like this and at various venues.  Will pay huge dividends in long run.

Dickie V is what he is.  He's been like that for 30 years, but in personal life he is a big time charity guy and respect that.  

[warriorfred]

Vitale was interesting and insightful 20 years ago, but now he is caricature of himself (see I used a cliche there, which is primarily what Vitale spouts for 40 minutes).  Really, Wojo was intense when he played?  Tom Izzo coaches with a lot of "love"?  Wojo learned from the greatest?

Sigh.  Say something interesting about the game . . .

[brewcity77]

As soon as he said "mid-major no one is talking about" I turned to my wife and said "Northern Iowa." So predictable, I guarantee some one fed him that 5 minutes before he said it.

[muwarrior69]

Going into tonight I felt we would see a better effort from Deonte and he delivered partially. We are going to need him playing well in the conference.

MSU had too many wide open looks. We just have to keep improving on defense.

That 's what GTech though about us yesterday.

[madtownwarrior]

Vitale sucks - over the top cheerleader, blowhard, rather listen to nails on a chalkboard...

This is a very likable team. Kids are fighting...fun to watch, albeit in a tough loss. I absolutely love Duane Wilson.

PS: I do not understand the Vitale hate. The guy is great for college hoops and he had nothing but great things to say about Marquette, which has been the norm for 25 years.

[tower912]

I didn't always hate Vitale.   His passion and style helped the game, particularly the Big East, really take off, starting 30 years ago.    He just grates on me now.   I know all of the good he still does for his charities, I know he still loves the game.   I just don't like listening to him call a game.  

[warriorfred]

I'll say it again, it was nice to see intensity.  I missed that last year.

This team has some indications of talent, and is developing every night.  I am beginning to think they will make the tournament.

[Vander Blue Man Group]

He's lazy. Doesn't know half of what he talks about. Just gets talking point notes from staffers and acts like he watches all the games. He's just there to be Dick Vitale. Like Chris Berman, he thinks his shtick is more important than his job.

Thank God Vitale and Berman do different sports - I would not be able to handle both being part of the same broadcast. 

[chapman]

Duane is pretty good.  He's going to be really good.

Just couldn't patch that hole in the zone with Denzel shooting threes.

Dickie V has a new obsession to fill the void from Craft.  Dawson, Dawson, Dawson, Dawson, Dawson.

We won the rebounding battle!  29-28, and 17-5 on their end (most games have practically been even on the opponent's end).  Unfortunately, eFG was back above 70%.

I like our chances against UT.

[tower912]

http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/boxscore?gameId=400608906

No minute played listed.   But I don't think anyone is going to be able to complain about lack of minutes for Duane.  

Updated box says Duane played 30.

[warriorfred]

Oh.  I forgot about free throws.  Every trip to the line is an adventure.  A few certainly would have helped tonight.

[Niv Berkowitz]

Really happy with the effort tonight and the potential. Man.... I would LOVE to have Fischer playing already.

Teams a work in progress. But I think they are in good hands and have a lot of potential.

[nyg]

When Fischer get back, it looks like an 8 man rotation which will help out.  Burton backing up Taylor will soon end and he can get back in his forward position.  

Cohen appears to be in the "on the bench" mode after starting first few games.

Dawson, well, he has no academic or injury issues, so apparent staff believes he cannot provide any assistance to the team except in practice.