Incredible Sparty/Syracuse Game Stats

Submitted by Mike Damone on

After watching that game, I had to check the boxscore to see if the stats backed up what I had just seen.  Check out these numbers:

Syracuse shot 35% for the game, was 1 of 8 from three, got out rebounded 51-30 by Sparty, and Sparty had 24 more shots at the basket than Syracuse - 66 shots for Sparty, 42 for the Orange.

And incredibly - Syracuse won.

How?

Sparty shot 21% from 3, jacking the ball 37 times and making 8.  Not much better from 2 - overall shot 25% for the game. And Syracuse money on free throws - 24 of 31 as compared to 11-16 for Sparty.

Not sure I have ever seen a game like that one.  And w Sparty playing in Detroit. 

As Bob Ufer used to say - "I have never been so cotton picking happy!"  See ya, Sparty.  And Go BLUE!

TrueBlue2003

March 18th, 2018 at 6:25 PM ^

more (good) rebound opporunities when you miss a lot of shots.  That's why citing raw rebounding numbers is typically not very instructive because the team that missed more shots will usually have fewer rebounds.

This game was the opposite and was completely absurd.  Michigan State rebounded 56 percent of their own misses!! That is bonkers.

goblue16

March 18th, 2018 at 6:24 PM ^

Has there ever been a better month for Michigan athletics than March 2018!! I love MICHIGAN!! GO BLUE!

brad

March 18th, 2018 at 6:28 PM ^

I can anecdotally corroborate this, since I spent that entire game thinking, "What the fuck am I watching?" Incredible is certainly one word to describe that affront to sport.

Coach Nero

March 18th, 2018 at 6:44 PM ^

But I do think Delaney’s decision on the BTT has screwed the league this year. MSU did not play well this week vs Bucknell or Syracuse, while Syracuse was in a rhythm having played 3 games this week after finishing last week. Plus OSU got down 15-0 to Gonzaga and didn’t look good in their opener. And we didn’t play our best this week.

Clarence Boddicker

March 18th, 2018 at 6:46 PM ^

Check out their comment thread. So good...

https://www.theonlycolors.com/2018/3/18/17136004/michigan-state-spartans-vs-syracuse-orange-2018

The worst part

I couldn’t agree more. Everyone is afraid to say it, Izzo is not that good I suppose. If not for that NBA caliber team in 2000, would he have won that? Many coaches win with sub NBA players every year. Let’s face facts.

Posted  by SpartanLinx  on Mar 18, 2018 | 5:34 PM
 

Such a waste....

Izzo playing Ben Carter for 23 minutes was the worst coaching move of his career. He’s never winning a second national championship and the game has passed him by.

Just can’t believewe had thst bad of a shooting effort too…Belien ran circles around Izzo again with his zone as we got lazy and jacked up 40 threes

Posted  by MSUMC25  on Mar 18, 2018 | 5:35 PM
 

Where are all of you who kept telling me that "this team has won 12 games in a row, losing to an average Michigan team is ok"?

"Izzo will turn it on", "Bridges will attack the hoop again", etc, etc.

C’mon out and lets hear the "we just didn’t execute" excuse parade.

Posted  by AdmiralAkbar  on Mar 18, 2018 | 5:21 PM

 

San Diego Mick

March 18th, 2018 at 6:55 PM ^

and still couldn't find a way to win, I thought they were overrated from the get go and when all those espn "experts" picked MSU to win it I knew they were doomed.

OSU and MSU lose and we win, the world is righting itself after all!!!

And to that Sparty douche who said we are an average team, well that average team had to travel away from Detroit and still beat a way higher seeded team in Houston who sure seemed like they should have been a higher seed than a 6.

SHub'68

March 18th, 2018 at 7:19 PM ^

You could tell they didn't know what to do at first. They were kind of milling around, then chucking contested stuff. Eventually, they went to Jackson in the middle, which is correct, but you could tell it was new to him. He tried to 'pass to the open shooter,' etc., but you could see him trying to think his way through it - it was not automatic. Probably why Izzo didn't have him in there much.
Question: if the opposing coach takes you out of your game plan, and you fail to adequately adjust, did you get out coached? Yes. The answer is yes. Remember how Beilein properly prepared his team for Syracuse during the 2013 run? Exactly. Not that we didn't have some trouble with them, but they were well prepared, and dealt.

BuckNekked

March 18th, 2018 at 8:34 PM ^

To play the middle of the zone you need to be able to make the 15 foot jumper consistently and know when you should shoot it, when you should take it to the hole and when to kick it out to a shooter. Its gotta be done quickly so that when the zone collapses to guard the paint the ball is in the shooters hand before the zone can close him out. If they stay at home you need to hit the jumper or drive if the rim protector comes at you. If you can do those thngs you eat a zone up. Probably why most teams run man to man.

McGary was perfect for that and while JJJ is a great athlete I think that is asking too much from him. So you saw a guy who hadnt played much all year playing in the middle. I dont think he did a half bad job, its a tough assignment if you dont see it often. MSU wasnt well enough coached at beating the zone to go to it consistently, or even often really. When they did they missed everything they threw up there because Carter wasnt a real threat to drive or shoot so Syracuse could stay out on the shooters and disrupt their rhythm.

Clarence Boddicker

March 18th, 2018 at 7:27 PM ^

And the Syracuse team Beilein beat was much better. Forget the name on the jerseys--Syracuse made the tournament through that backdoor playoff. They were supposed to be cannon fodder for the real contenders--like trendy Final Four pick Sparty.

BuckNekked

March 18th, 2018 at 8:05 PM ^

Syracuse made 15 FGs and won that game. Too funny. State only made 17 for a total between the two of 32. For perspective A&M made 31 themselves against UNC. Ugly game to say the least.

bronxblue

March 18th, 2018 at 8:20 PM ^

This Syracuse team is going to be in trouble next week.  Duke has seen this defense before, already game planned for it, and can also throw a tough zone at a terrible shooting team.  It's going to be ugly.  And let's be honest - MSU would have been just as bad agaisnt Duke as Syracuse, but probably would have lost by 15 instead of a couple.  They just aren't that good of a team, and it's telling that they were .500 against tournament teams this season.

allintime23

March 18th, 2018 at 9:00 PM ^

The spartys at work we’re bitching about the Montana game Friday morning. Tomorrow I’ll let them know they made Michigan vs. Montana look look like the rockets vs. the warriors.

WAR_DAWG'S_RETURN

March 18th, 2018 at 9:21 PM ^

Hope one of you guys can get some msu tweets up again. Those are just priceless and make my day.