Quote:This should be the time when the bench is extended. There's really no reason to play starters 30-35 minutes in a double-digit loss. Open up the bench a bit and get those guys playing with confidence. Granted, you need to balance teaching moments, gaining experience and chemistry for your starting five, etc. but you don't need to push these guys to peak minutes to do that.

This is a good point. Althought MSU does not suffer double digit losses, Izzo does use a LOT of his bench for extended periods the first 10 or so games of the year. Even if it costs them a loss or two early in the year, the strategy pays big dividends as the season goes on. I think in one of the final four years MSU lost early on to Grand Valley or some similar school, becasue the game was early in the season.
I have always wished Hawk would use his bench much the same way. Instead, he seems to want to identify 7 or 8 key guys that he will wear into the ground by the end of the year. And later in the season, after an injury or the like, one of the seldom used bench players is put into a key pressure situation and the young man has very little game time experience to draw from. Instead he gets the "deer in the headlights" look. I know our 8-13th men are not what MSU's are, but I do think we are missing a little bit of an opportunity.
All that being said, I am not a coach and have a hard time second guessing any D-I head coach.

(12-11-2012 06:19 PM)texasbronco1 Wrote:  

Quote:This should be the time when the bench is extended. There's really no reason to play starters 30-35 minutes in a double-digit loss. Open up the bench a bit and get those guys playing with confidence. Granted, you need to balance teaching moments, gaining experience and chemistry for your starting five, etc. but you don't need to push these guys to peak minutes to do that.

This is a good point. Althought MSU does not suffer double digit losses, Izzo does use a LOT of his bench for extended periods the first 10 or so games of the year. Even if it costs them a loss or two early in the year, the strategy pays big dividends as the season goes on. I think in one of the final four years MSU lost early on to Grand Valley or some similar school, becasue the game was early in the season.
I have always wished Hawk would use his bench much the same way. Instead, he seems to want to identify 7 or 8 key guys that he will wear into the ground by the end of the year. And later in the season, after an injury or the like, one of the seldom used bench players is put into a key pressure situation and the young man has very little game time experience to draw from. Instead he gets the "deer in the headlights" look. I know our 8-13th men are not what MSU's are, but I do think we are missing a little bit of an opportunity.
All that being said, I am not a coach and have a hard time second guessing any D-I head coach.

I feel the same way. And honestly, vie always felt like hawk has been too liberal with his bench use in years past. This year is the opposite. Avery, Harris and Perry should all be getting more minutes during non conference games IMO.

But the A.D. Has announced a new vision that emphasizes winning and championships and post season play.

That knowledge could be influencing a stronger emphasis on winning right away.

Although there are valid trade offs between using the most talented players right now, versus developing players with hopes of winning more later.

The most successful coaches can do better with that type of analysis. And with player development.

We used to think few freshmen were ready to play, but with the modern AAU situation, I'm not sure that is true anymore.