Hero of the Game: Draymond Green
Green finished the game with 15 points and 11 rebounds, but what will be remembered most is his offensive rebound and putback following a Kalin Lucas miss on the front end of a one-and-one with 12 seconds remaining. The shot deflated the hopes of a Northwestern team that nearly completed a 13-point comeback.
Green began the game with 10 of Michigan State’s first 14 points, but was quieted for just 5 the rest of the game. However, his versatile presence was felt all over the court, as he was able to hinder every defense Northwestern tried. Quick on his feet, yet strong on the inside, Green proved to be a matchup nightmare.
“He’s tough on the inside, but you’ve got to match his physicality,” said Drew Crawford following the game.
While the ‘Cats were able to force Green into four turnovers, his four assists and 7-of-11 shooting show how successful he was.
Stat of the Game: 8/34, 24-percent from two-point field goals
Despite shooting 43.5 percent from three-point range and shooting 19 more free throws than the Spartans, poor shooting inside the arc was Northwestern’s downfall. The dismal shooting from two-point territory reflects in the statistics of three key players. John Shurna, still hobbled by a sore ankle, was 0-for-6. Drew Crawford shot 60 percent from beyond the arc, yet he was just 2-11 inside. Luka Mirkovic was a not-so-miserable 3-of-8, but he missed multiple shots from close range that were inexcusable. On a night when Michigan State was switching to prevent the open three, these were the shots that Northwestern needed to be hitting.
Turning Point: 3:00 remaining in the second half
At the time, Michael “Juice” Thompson’s jumper may have just seemed like a futile attempt to crawl back in to the game. However, it proved to be the beginning of a furious rally by the Wildcats that was capped by Thompson’s nine points and assist on a Davide Curletti three pointer.
Michigan State pulled out to its biggest lead when Kalin Lucas hit a jumper with 3:47 remaining to pull ahead by 13. Northwestern would go on to score the next 12 points and pull within one with 27 seconds remaining. Draymond Green crushed any hopes of a upset with his putback, but Northwestern made a statement and hopefully will draw some momentum from their failed comeback attempt.
Where to improve: Coaching
One coaching miscue stands out from the close loss: the treatment of John Shurna. Playing on a sore ankle and visibly uncomfortable throughout the game, Shurna played 39 of 40 minutes, including all 20 minutes of the second half. Shurna shot poorly the whole game, going 1-of-11 from the field, and looked tired in the closing minutes of the game, playing sloppy defense and looking lethargic running up and down the court, yet he remained in the game. Coach Bill Carmody even cited in the press conference that Shurna was not 100 percent physically yet, and he wasn’t the only one.
“I don’t think Shurna is 100 percent,” added Michigan State coach Tom Izzo, also adding that he noticed the ankle bothering Shurna.
Yet, he remained in the game.
“Definitely seems like he’s in pain, but he’s a tough kid,” said Thompson.
On Draymond Green’s rebound and layup in the closing seconds, it was Shurna that he powered through to make the play. In a game that close, Carmody needs to have his rebounders in the game, especially with a timeout left, yet he left Mirkovic on the bench.
While Shurna may be the team’s best player, and is certainly the best scorer, having him on the court tired and hurt was not the best scenario for the rest of the team. Had Mirkovic been subbed in for him on the free throw, there may have been a different outcome.