MSU Basketball: Leadership better this year?
This sounds an awful lot like 2014 Michigan Football in the preseason. Branden Dawson and Izzo threw Gary Harris, Adreian Payne, and Keith Appling under the bus at Media Day. And the last guy that should probably be talking about leadership is Branden Dawson after the whole "Dakich made me punch a table" incident last season.
"They were just so quiet," Dawson said about last season's veterans. "Not trying to throw those guys under the bus but this year, our communication is better. I talk a lot. Denzel is talking a lot and Travis is too. ... As far as this year, we're all on the same page."
His coach agrees. Izzo kicked off Big Ten Media Day by addressing leadership challenges that he doesn't expect to affect the team this year.
"I think [this is] a team with the same kind of passion we had last year, the same kind of camaraderie, but a little better leadership," he said. "Last year just wasn't ... it wasn't a strength of our team. It wasn't necessarily a weakness, but we had, we didn't have quite the leadership that I think we have with Travis Trice and Denzel Valentine."
October 17th, 2014 at 9:52 AM ^
I don't know if he has any regrets. He'll retire a legend in East Lansing regardless of what happens from here on out. Jud Heathcoate was much less successful overall than Izzo, but he's still revered there for riding Magic Johnson's coattails to a title. Izzo has done a lot more than that and will be a hero there forever.
October 17th, 2014 at 11:41 AM ^
I don't doubt he will be a legend. But I mean for his own personal satisfaction. Granted, I don't know what his personal criteria for satisfaction are. If he's content with going down as the best at MSU, sure, he's probably fine. But one of the best ever? Nope. He needed to either win a couple more or try for the next level, and I don't think he's doing either now.
October 18th, 2014 at 12:43 AM ^
October 17th, 2014 at 11:06 AM ^
October 17th, 2014 at 2:39 PM ^
October 17th, 2014 at 9:18 PM ^
Payne, Appling, and Harris were too nice, while Trice, Valentine, and Dawson are pricks. They have that Izzo/Crean 'fire.'