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 16th, 2014 at 8:08 PM ^
Leadership will take you only so far...at some point, you're going to need the talent to compete....damn I wish I wasn't being hopeful that basketball season had started already. BTW...when do BBall tix get mailed out?
October 16th, 2014 at 10:58 PM ^
For real. Travis Trice and Denzel Valentine are not good basketball players. They are hapless children compared to Harris and Payne.
October 16th, 2014 at 8:10 PM ^
Sounds *ALMOST* like 2014 Michigan football, except they don't have the basketball-Brady-Hoke equivalent as their head coach.
October 16th, 2014 at 8:41 PM ^
I don't know...the level of 4* and 5* talent that Izzo fails to develop is pretty much on par with Hoke
October 16th, 2014 at 8:45 PM ^
Eh, maybe they're not individiual rockstars but his teams have always been solid.
October 16th, 2014 at 9:12 PM ^
His teams have been solid to great without a doubt, but players haven't developed into the NBA guys that high 4 stars and 5 stars should be. Since 2006, where he did have 3 NBA picks, he has only had 4 draft picks. Goran Suton, who was cut before his rookie year, Draymond Green, Payne and Harris.
Also he is a crybaby, so I am being overly judgemental about this.
October 16th, 2014 at 9:18 PM ^
The problem is, people put way too much stock into the idea that a coach can "turn a guy into an NBA player." BBall players are either NBA caliber or they're not. The impact that their college coach has on that is minimal. This is true also in football but maybe not to the same extreme.
October 16th, 2014 at 10:44 PM ^
Do you have any evidence to support this claim?
October 17th, 2014 at 8:07 AM ^
October 17th, 2014 at 9:30 AM ^
October 17th, 2014 at 12:55 PM ^
October 17th, 2014 at 7:06 PM ^
Not really, Nik and Burke and Hardaway weren't pro prospects either. Beilein players overachieve, Izzo's underachieve...it's the exact opposite situation for football coaches unfortunately.
October 16th, 2014 at 8:48 PM ^
October 16th, 2014 at 8:53 PM ^
Cue the rush of unsolicited comparions to Beilein's last three years..
October 16th, 2014 at 9:37 PM ^
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
October 16th, 2014 at 9:31 PM ^
I bet even Coach Izzo would make use of my services if he were a football coach. I'm really starting to feel deep levels of insecurity because Coach Hoke doesn't trust me. When will this end?!
October 16th, 2014 at 10:29 PM ^
The best comp may actually be our own Brian ellerbee
October 16th, 2014 at 8:14 PM ^
I forget where I heard this, but someone said the "punched a table" thing was a cover story and that Dawson actually took a swing at one of his coaches (and apparently missed and broke his hand on the wall).
October 16th, 2014 at 9:03 PM ^
I don't believe that for a second.
October 16th, 2014 at 10:27 PM ^
The punch went right over Izzo's head.
October 16th, 2014 at 10:39 PM ^
Why not? It seems plausible to me. Izzo's always chewing his players out. It wouldn't shock me if he's had a guy or two flip out on him before.
October 16th, 2014 at 8:19 PM ^
Whatever you say Tom.
October 16th, 2014 at 10:00 PM ^
October 16th, 2014 at 8:14 PM ^
If you really followed closely the last couple of seasons, there were a lot of problems behind the scenes in East Lansing. This isn't surprising in the least on that front, but it's really surprising Izzo couldn't rein it in.
October 16th, 2014 at 8:14 PM ^
October 16th, 2014 at 8:16 PM ^
October 16th, 2014 at 8:28 PM ^
You might be right, but I think I will wait a couple of months before reaching any conclusions about the B1G.
Would you have bet that Michigan would win the B1G by 3 games, and that we would make it to the Elite 8 and Wiscy to the Final Four this time last year?
October 17th, 2014 at 8:11 AM ^
October 17th, 2014 at 9:58 AM ^
English is your friend.
October 16th, 2014 at 8:30 PM ^
Remind me again why someone would want to play for him? I'm not talking about the Izzo from 10-15 years ago, but the petulant, woe-is-me, nothing-is-my-fault Izzo from the past 3-4 seasons.
No thanks.
October 16th, 2014 at 11:15 PM ^
I'm not sure he's really changed that much. I remember him whining about Erazem Lorbek's departure for a few years.
What has changed is that there is a viable in-state competitor now.
October 16th, 2014 at 8:25 PM ^
This team will probably be better without him. Doesn't matter though, they have nothing down low this year.
October 16th, 2014 at 9:01 PM ^
October 16th, 2014 at 8:26 PM ^
Don't they mean their excuses are better this year? I am so sick of that overrated midget crying. We were without our All American center and still won the conference by 3 games. Izzo is pussy and his players are weird.
October 16th, 2014 at 8:37 PM ^
and way worse than what we saw from Michigan football in August.
I don't mean MSU basketball is going to be way worse, but IIRC no one on UM's football team was naming names and calling guys out specifically like this.
Also, like others have said, it's a bit rich for them to be calling out guys with far more talent and accomplishments.
In summary, I'm glad for Travis Trice to be a leader on that team.
October 16th, 2014 at 8:45 PM ^
October 17th, 2014 at 9:59 AM ^
This is what Izzo does.
October 16th, 2014 at 9:39 PM ^
was Izzo's excuse for just simply not doing a good job coaching that team. On the other hand Keith Appling was a terrible leader who made just awful decisions at the wrong times over the last couple years.
Lets not forget two of those high profile "leaders" shouldn't have even made it to their Senior years, let alone avoided jail time.
October 16th, 2014 at 9:51 PM ^
I was going to mention that. I wondered if maybe their leadership issues had to do with the fact that their teammates were aware of a certain incident. You know, the one that's Totally Not The Same As The Gibbons Case, Brah(TM).
October 16th, 2014 at 9:52 PM ^
October 16th, 2014 at 9:54 PM ^
October 16th, 2014 at 10:43 PM ^
October 16th, 2014 at 10:27 PM ^
I'm surprised they didn't blame Taylor Lewan as well.
October 16th, 2014 at 10:36 PM ^
October 16th, 2014 at 10:43 PM ^
October 16th, 2014 at 10:59 PM ^
October 17th, 2014 at 1:03 AM ^
We all know what was in the police report for the Wonders Hall Assault. Neither player should ever play another minute for that school. Instead, both played four years in EL and were counted upon by Tom Izzo for "leadership" last season. When the coach shows that kind of "leadership: by example, how are players supposed to "lead?"
We are seeing players at other schools get suspended when there is no "smoking gun" such as that police report. We even saw Michigan change its rules so that Brendan Gibbons, who apparently had nothing but he said, she said "evidence" against him but was displaying a pattern of inappropriate behavior that could not be ignored nor tolerated, could be jettisoned without "violating his rights" and risking legal recourse.
Meanwhile, "leadership as usual" goes on in EL. Tom Izzo will still field good teams. He may even keep getting them to the second week of the NCAA Tournament. But I don't see him having another run like he did before last year's seniors arrived in EL.
I don't think Izzo is as good a leader as he once was. It is hurting him that he can't just walk into the home of a Michigan recruit, say "scandal" and leave with a commitment anymore. To compensate, Izzo is cutting corners in the integrity department. Sparty will always be tough, but I don't see them being truly elite anymore.
October 17th, 2014 at 9:28 AM ^
I agree. I think he'll soon be regretting not bolting for the League when he had the chance. Although I'm not sure his style would have ever worked at that level.