February 20, 2025

WTKA Roundtable 2/20/2025: The Izzoiest Izzo to Ever Iz a Zo

47 minutes

Things Discussed:

We believe MSU is likely planting diseases in Brian's kid's school.

Michigan State preview: They can't shoot; they're 354th (I was wrong on the pod) out of 364 teams in 3P%. But caveat: Jase Richardson can shoot and has been playing more, Frankie Fiddler career-wise can shoot, Fears is at 35% and Kohler is at 34%. It's Hollomon and Carr and Akins who give them that profile, but when only one is on the court they're fine.

They are physical. Purdue is physical too but MSU is that and DIRTY.

MSU vs Purdue: great coaching job. Strategy was switching, throwing guard after guard on Braden Smith, getting the Purdue backcourt trapped down low and running on rebounds. Also got Breslin calls on Trey Kaufman-Renn.

Szymon Zapala is the dirtiest player to come through the Big Ten since Brad Davison and whinier than his coach. MSU's process involves getting called (Zapala has 6 fouls/40) but they roll four-deep a the five when you include Kohler.

Key: Do not turn the ball over against MSU. They're excellent in transition, in the half-court vs zone they have to take pullup 2s and go for rebounds.

Tschetter's rapid elbow: he knew the head was there.

By the way: change the wedgie rule. Wedgie should be defense's ball OOB.

Sam gonna die on the hill that Bill Laimbeer was a "physical" player. He was dirty.

Seth's quick study on teams that get more home calls (based on the idea that it's normal to get about 1 free throw per missed shot at the rim vs top-100 competition, and teams get about 10% more fouls at home): Purdue gets the worst whistle in the league, Michigan is 2nd, MSU gets the best whistle and at home it's off the charts.

Does Dusty need to work the refs better? I think he just needs to get to know them better.

Michigan strategy vs State: Wolf needs to take advantage of Kohler, Goldin needs to give it back to Zapala.

Illinois? They shoot a lot of threes and go for rebounds.

Craig's Baseball update: They're very good! 4-0 with an extra innings win vs #2 Virginia and wins vs Rice, Villanova and Stetson in the Puerto Rico Challenge. Jonathan Kim and Mitch Voight are hammering the ball, getting great pitching from Gavin DeVooght, David Lally and Kurt Barr, who've given up zero ER in 17-1/3 innings. Next is TCU, KSU, and Arkansas in Arlington.

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