Solari: Time for MSU basketball to straighten out early kinks
DURHAM, N.C. – It’s time to unpack the bags, take a deep breath, exhale and examine.
Michigan State’s arduous first month is over. The once-pertinent numbers of eight games, 22 days and 13,000-plus miles of travel are complete.
They give way to new, important digits.
Five straight games and seven of the next eight are at the Breslin Center, starting Saturday against Oral Roberts. Twenty-six days of refining the problems before the Big Ten season opens Dec. 27 at Minnesota. And four freshmen who are now as seasoned and battle-tested as any coach Tom Izzo have had after a month, having come out of the stretch with a 4-4 record.
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None of the three marquee games — against Arizona, Kentucky and Duke — ended in victories. But Izzo saw enough building blocks to think MSU can iron out the kinks with more time at home practicing and watching film.
“I do think we’re a lot better than we were against Arizona. … We’ve been through the gauntlet, there’s no question about it,” Izzo said after Tuesday night’s 78-69 loss at Duke. “But you know what? We competed almost to the end other than that 2-minute stretch. So, I’m gonna build on this.”
Here’s a look at the five positives and concerns the Spartans discovered about themselves in their travels.
Strengths
Bridges hype legit: It’s clear Miles Bridges has become the focal point of opponents’ defensive game plans. The way the 6-foot-7 forward has been able to create his own shots (16.6 points), rebound (8.8) and maneuver in traffic — on the floor with the ball and above the rim to finish — display a rare blend of talent unlike any Izzo has had in 22 seasons. MSU’s challenges are to keep Bridges’ emotions in check when he is seeing defenses pack into the paint and double- and triple-team him.
Ward impressive: Before the NBA departure of Deyonta Davis and injuries to Gavin Schilling and…