No subs, no problem: Michigan State continues to get by with short bench - MLive.com

DES MOINES, Iowa -- The last time Michigan State went an 11-minute second half stretch without making any substitutions, the game ended poorly.

The Spartans did make any subs for the last 11:42 of their March 2 loss at Indiana, as they fell apart down the stretch and in Tom Izzo's words "ran out of gas."

In their NCAA Tournament opener on Thursday, Michigan State again went an 11-minute second half stretch with no subs due to their ongoing personnel issues.

While the Spartans had enough gas left in the tank this time, Izzo is still worried about how this team will hold up with a second-round game against Minnesota slated for Saturday.

"We were put in a tough situation and we've answered the bell so far," Izzo said. "We've just got to get by Saturday. If we get by Saturday, it gets normal again."

As Tom Izzo gets fiery, Aaron Henry and Michigan State respond to a challenge

Izzo was seen berating his freshman during a second-half timeout on Thursday

After a taxing last weekend, Michigan State had one of the shortest turnarounds possible heading into this weekend.

The Spartans played three games in three days on Friday, Saturday and Sunday to win the Big Ten tournament. They were then assigned to a Thursday-Saturday first-round site, making for only three days of rest.

Michigan State has been playing with a short rotation due to injuries for weeks. Izzo knows he's talked about his team's injuries and minutes often, but still sees it as one of the most significant issues facing his team as it looks to advance in the NCAA Tournament.

"I'll look at it later and say it was a hell of an effort by a team that really had zero rest because of that turnaround," Izzo said. "If someone doesn't like that as an excuse, too bad."

With Michigan State in a one-possession game until the final four minutes on Thursday, there wasn't much rest to be had. Tillman was the only Spartans player who got a second-half breather before those final 14 seconds. Cassius Winston, Matt McQuaid, Aaron Henry and Kenny Goins all played the first 19:46 together. Winston, Goins and McQuaid all played 38 or 39 minutes.

Despite that, Michigan State was able to close out the game in the final four minutes to survive a first-round scare.

"Just being aggressive," Winston said. "I pride myself on making the right play."

Izzo thought Goins, who averaged a team-high 36.7 minutes per game in the Big Ten tournament, shot poorly due to fatigue. He shot 1-for-10 from the field and 0-for-7 from 3-point range.

Goins didn't think fatigue played a factor in his shooting.

"I thought all my shots were going down," Goins said. "I just think I've got to get some more arc on the ball."

Spartans forward Nick Ward has returned for the Spartans' last four games after missing five due to a broken hand, yet he played just 11 minutes on Thursday and did little to spell Tillman and Goins. Izzo said Ward's limited minutes were due to some defensive coverages.

"He's just not quite there yet," Izzo said. "Not all his fault, a little bit ours. He was productive getting to the free throw line and scoring a bucket and getting 5 rebounds."

Saturday will bring a bigger and more physical opponent in Minnesota, and the Spartans will be playing on shorter rest. So once again, Izzo will ask his key players to play big minutes and carry the team to another win.

“Like I tell them all the time, you pass out before you die, so don’t worry about it,” Izzo said. “Give me everything you’ve got.”

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https://www.mlive.com/spartans/2019/03/no-subs-no-problem-michigan-state-continues-to-get-by-with-short-bench.html

2019-03-22 10:40:00Z
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