BBALLBREAKDOWN v.2 | Page 29

face-up shooter, screener, and rebounder who never needs the ball to be effective. This year’s frontcourt addition is the rare McDonald’s All-American heading to East Lansing, Deyonta Davis. The 6’10’’ freshman still needs to add bulk, but can face up and shoot and will make an immediate impact just by virtue of his length and versatility. Chances are he doesn’t start immediately, but he could be sometime during conference play. Also contributing up front once he gets back from a foot injury will be sophomore Marvin Clark, a good rebounder with 3-point range. firepower. Before sitting out last season, Harris averaged 17.2 PPG for the Mountaineers, showing the ability to hit from deep (42.2 percent on 6.4 attempts per game) and get to the basket. Like Harris, the sharpshooting Bryn Forbes can hit from deep, averaging twice as many 3-pointers as those inside the arc. Running the show will be the scrappy Lourawls Nairn, who may not provide much in the way of offense, but is careful with the ball and a pest on defense. Michigan State’s frontcourt will be led by returnees Gavin Schilling and Matt Costello. Schilling has a developing offensive repertoire and unique athleticism for a center, but will need to be more consistent on the boards to replace the rebounding void left by the departed Dawson. Costello is an excellent The Spartans don’t do anything fancy. They play sound basketball with a focus on valuing each possession, playing solid defense, and constantly battling to outrebound their opponents. The Spartans were one of the national leaders last year in EFG% margin (creating efficient offense, forcing inefficient offense from opponents) shooting 8.3 percent better than their opponents, and rebounding margin. With most of the team back from last year, don’t expect the core competency of this team to change. “No team makes a tougher nonconference schedule...” While the Big Ten isn’t as strong as recent seasons, there will still be quality teams standing in the way of Michigan State and a conference championship. More importantly though, this team seems wellequipped for anything that comes at them. And if they’re not ready yet, Coach Tom Izzo will make sure they are soon enough. Photo: Mike Carter - USA TODAY Sports BBALLBREAKDOWN | 29