Lucas, Morgan Need to Play Big
Submitted by Paul Mercier on Thu, 03/26/2009 - 11:08
Sure, Kalin Lucas was the Big Ten Player of the Year. Yes, he averages 14.6 points per game and 4.5 assists per game. There’s no doubt: Kalin Lucas is a budding star in college basketball. However, he will need to play even bigger on Friday night if the Spartans look to defeat an improved Jayhawks squad and head into the Elite Eight.
The last time these two teams faced off, Kalin Lucas did indeed play an enormous factor. In fact, he was the main catalyst in the Spartans’ victory with 22 points and 5 rebounds. But, this Kansas team is NOT the Kansas team that MSU saw on January 10th. This young group of athletes has come a long way in its development, and is way ahead of the game in terms of team chemistry. Thus, Lucas’ steady ball control, distribution, and production will play a huge role once again in Friday’s matchup.
Another strong argument could be made for Raymar Morgan. Yes, he was sick. Yes, he missed a lot of games. However, the excuses are gone. Raymar says he’s healthy; coach Izzo says Raymar is healthy; therefore, he must step up. Morgan’s lack of production has seemed noticeable as of late, and against a Sweet Sixteen team, that lack of production could be detrimental.
On a side note, an interesting matchup will be watching MSU’s bigs work down low against a very talented young center in Cole Aldrich. Aldrich is averaging nearly 15 points a game, and 11 rebounds. This 7 foot sophomore could give MSU fits if they are unable to get positioning down low. It will be interesting to see if Izzo elects to use reserve center Idong Ibok, or Marquise Gray to bump with the big man intermittently throughout the game.
Friday will present a tough, but exciting matchup for the Spartans. I look forward to watching coach Izzo’s preparation once again.
