Grinz On Green: Spartans Ready To Adjust Without Valentine
12/21/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
By Steve Grinczel, MSUSpartans.com Online Columnist
The sudden loss of standout guard Denzel Valentine to a minor knee injury could have a significant short-term impact on No. 1 Michigan State, but coach Tom Izzo isn't fretting about the Spartans' long-range goals.
"We've got to make a positive out of a negative and try to put people in the best position we can put them in to be successful," Izzo said Monday afternoon after announcing Valentine would be out of the lineup for two to three weeks.
Valentine felt discomfort in his left knee after executing a routine layup during a non-contact situation in practice Sunday night. Closer examination showed that a small piece of cartilage had broken loose, and he underwent arthroscopic surgery early Monday morning to have it removed.
Delaying the surgery was an option, but considered too risky.
"It could not bother him for a week and then really bother him, with all the moves," Izzo said. "So we did the best for him in present, him in the future, us in the future, and figuring us right now isn't as critical as us in the future as far as making a decision that's best for him.
"There's not even a thought of lasting effects from this. As the doctor said, whatever the best-case scenario for something like this is, he's got the best-case scenario."
The good news is, Valentine is expected to make a full recovery after sitting out Tuesday night's game against Oakland at The Palace of Auburn Hills and MSU's first two Big Ten games at Iowa on Dec. 29 and at Minnesota on Jan. 2. Whether he'll be able to return in time for the conference home opener against Illinois on Jan. 7 will depend on how quickly he heals.
The bad news is, well, really not all that bad for Izzo, who has a career's worth of experience with such matters and need look no further that the Michigan State football team, which is gearing up to play Alabama in the College Football Playoff national semifinals despite weathering an unprecedented number of injuries in Mark Dantonio's ninth season as head coach.
"I feel the worst for Zel," Izzo said of MSU's top scorer, rebounder, assist-maker and leader on the floor and in the locker room. "He's having such a good year and he's put so much in his senior year, but like his dad (former Spartan player Carlton Valentine) said, he's had a pretty blessed season so far and I don't think this is going to change it in any way, shape or form."
Izzo knows as well as anyone that such a setback at this point is no reason to adjust long-range goals, and the Spartans have Big Ten- and national-championship aspirations.
After missing the first 13 games in 1999-2000, senior point guard Mateen Cleaves returned from foot surgery to lead MSU to the NCAA title. One of the Spartans' non-conference losses that season came at Arizona, and afterward, Wildcat coach Lute Olson correctly predicted they would become a better team by learning how to play without Cleaves just as his team did after coming back from Miles Simon's 11-game absence en route to the 1997 national championship.
Izzo also pointed out how MSU has played through injuries suffered by Branden Dawson, Adreian Payne, Keith Appling and Goran Suton, among others, over the years.
"I try to, as I always do, compare it to football, and I thought about losing a quarterback, but the problem is, that's one of 22," Izzo said. "This would be like a quarterback who had to throw the ball, run the ball, catch the ball, make the tackles, be the defensive back. He's been a pretty special player for us."
Just as shooting guard Charlie Bell was forced to become more of a complete guard while other teammates assumed bigger roles with Cleaves out of the picture 16 years ago, Izzo is expecting the same out of players like sophomore point guard Tum Tum Nairn, who has an astounding 53 assists to just nine turnovers, but only 4.7 points per game.
Junior transfer Eron Harris, who has been inconsistent through the first 12 games, could be in line for his first start and backups Alvin Ellis III, and freshmen Matt McQuaid and Kyle Ahrens, are expected to get extended opportunities to address backcourt responsibilities.
"Maybe it will be a shot in the arm for (Harris)," said Izzo, adding that freshman power forward Deyonta Davis, who has shown, a flashes of brilliance as an inside scorer and shot-blocker, appears to be poised to provide a lift from the front line.
Izzo is also encouraged by the way the Spartans rallied to beat a difficult Florida team, 58-52, with Valentine playing his worst game of the season.
"Against Florida, the first thing he said in the locker room was, `I was awful today and you guys saved me,' " Izzo said. "He was crushed when we found out (about the injury) late last night, but at the same time, we're just going to have to learn.
"This will be a new challenge, a new chapter for us, but we've talked about our depth. We've won games when he hasn't played well. This has become an opportunity for our other guys, which I think is key. Maybe my biggest worry is rebounding, because he's our best rebounder."
Izzo is confident Nairn, a high-energy player and dynamic personality, will assume most of Valentine's leadership responsibilities. Nevertheless, the Spartans, while averaging nearly 80 points per game, may have to shift their emphasis.
"I'm looking forward to see who steps up," Izzo said. "I've seen a little bit of it. I'm actually going to talk to Mark (Dantonio) about just how he approached it and we've got a good learning aide right in front of us with the Payne and Dawson thing two years ago, which we got through, but it wasn't pretty. That was two guys.
"We'll be fine. We've got enough depth. We've just got to find a way to win a game. The other thing I've learned from football is don't worry as much about the offensive skill part of it. Let's just get tougher defensively. If we have to win a game ugly, we've got to win ugly. But if our defense is good, we've still got the athletes to finish on the fast break."
What's in immediate jeopardy, however, is the undefeated Spartans' quest to become the first team in program history to go 13-0, especially with what may be the best Golden Grizzlies team under 32nd-year coach Greg Kampe up next on the schedule.
"That's another sad part about it, because that really meant a lot to Denzel," Izzo said. "I do think it means a lot to these players, when you think of who's played here. When you can set a record nobody's accomplished -- and we've played a schedule that's probably better than a lot of those teams ever played when you look at our non-conference (opponents) and the travel -- it's something that's important to them and that's good.
"It's good to have goals within the big picture. When you accomplish them, you learn how to accomplish something. So right now, that's a big thing to these guys."
