Michigan State University Athletics
Grinz On Green: Spartans Progress Without Valentine
1/6/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Doctors removed a small piece of loose cartilage from Michigan State guard Denzel Valentine's knee on Dec. 21 as a precaution against potentially bigger problems down the road.
The Spartans feel playing a fourth-straight game without their do-it-all leader in Thursday night's Big Ten home opener against Illinois will have a similar safeguarding effect on the team as it sets its sights on conference and NCAA Tournament championships.
Michigan State (14-1, 1-1 Big Ten) held off Oakland in its first game without Valentine's team-high points, rebounds and assists; stumbled mightily in the league-opening loss at Iowa; and banded together to find a way to beat Minnesota last Saturday.
If the Spartans can continue their winning ways in the short term without Valentine's varied contributions, it doesn't take much of an imagination to visualize the boost he'll provide when he's back to full speed. There's an outside chance he could be back in the playing group on Sunday at Penn State, but the Jan. 14 rematch with Iowa in the Breslin Center is more realistic.
Meantime, his teammates must continue to find ways to hold down the fort until Valentine's return.
"We're trying to figure ourselves out a little bit," senior forward Matt Costello said after Monday evening's practice. "With Zel being gone for what will be a fourth game now, we're having to learn some stuff about ourselves. We're doing better, but we've still got some things to figure out."
Costello has emerged from the shadows in the low post to play his best basketball "since high school," when he became Bay City Western's all-time leading scorer en route to winning Michigan Mr. Basketball honors in 2012.
He scored 17 career-high-tying points against Iowa and then did it again against the Golden Gophers while also establishing a new personal best with 15 rebounds, including six offensive boards.
"Statistics-wise, aggressiveness, confidence and stuff like that, you know," Costello said. "I'm feeling pretty good; I've just got to keep it going."
Costello's improved play served as a catalyst for fellow inside players, junior Gavin Schilling (eight points) and freshman Deyonta Davis (10), who also performed well at Minnesota.
Costello also expects more improvement on a team-wide basis as it continues to adapt to life without Denzel.
"It shows the (flaws) a lot more because Zel isn't there to cover stuff up," Costello said. "We can't have that out there so we're having to step up individually. It'll take a week or two (when Valentine returns). Fans can't expect him to come back and play at the level he was â€" he was the best player in the nation for a month but he's taken a step back because he got hurt.
"It'll get back to where it was, just give it a little time. We're getting more opportunities with Zel out, so we just got to see what happens. But I feel like our team is in a good spot. Everyone has always praised us on how much fun we have together and how much we love each other so …, I'm not worried."
The loss at Iowa ended Michigan State's program-record, four-week reign as the nation's No.1-ranked team â€" it's No. 5 this week â€" but long-range goals remain intact. Furthermore, Valentine's hiatus has underscored how quickly a team's fortunes can turn.
"It's been difficult because when you take a major piece out of the puzzle, it's not going to be the same," Valentine said. "People on our team have definitely had to switch up their game and do more things, but I think it's for the better. It's kind of a blessing in disguise that this happened.
"The biggest thing for me is it's made me a lot hungrier and understand how the coaches feel when things aren't going well. So what if we're 14-1? That can change. We can lose these next two games and be 14-3 and on the edge of sliding out of the Top 25. So we're going to keep everybody humble and working hard."
Valentine participated in shooting, cutting and defensive drills on Monday. He won't return to live practice until he can run full speed but likes what he's seeing in the Spartans from his vantage point on the sideline.
"I feel great where we're at," he said. "Our practices have been great. Guys have come in every day ready to practice. Nobody's moping around like it's the middle of the year, it's snowy outside and we don't want to be here. Energy is high and things are going good."
After spending nearly a month on the road, including a side trip to Dallas to watch the MSU football team play Alabama in the College Football Playoff on New Year's Eve, the Spartans and Coach Tom Izzo are looking forward to the break between games and no classes until next week to make adjustments typical of his teams this time of year.
"These four days are critical for us," Izzo said. "We've got time to take a really take a good look at us. We didn't get that after Christmas just because of the way the Big Ten schedule is now. But we do have some good days to hopefully get better."
In addition to the progress Michigan State's inside players have made, Izzo is pleased with the improvement in guard Eron Harris over the past five games. And after struggling initially with a vastly expanded role, point guard Tum Tum Nairn Jr. appears to on the verge of getting a better handle on the organizational aspects of the team.
"I think his leadership will improve because he's already a great leader, but he's got to realize he has to know everybody's position, he has to know more things and he doesn't have a running mate who's talking to him as much," said Izzo, referring to Valentine. "The other thing we have to do is try to get the other guys better.
"There's a lot of areas we can help Tum in by them doing their job. It's not all on Tum, but he's the leader, he's got to be the leader and I feel comfortable with him in that positon."
Shooting guard Bryn Forbes, who was on a tear from 3-point range before Valentine went down, has suffered the most during this period, but can turn his game around, according to Izzo, by playing better defense and getting after rebounds.
"It's odd that we're into January and I'm talking about the same things I was talking about in November, but it's been three or four injuries," Izzo said. "It's just the way it is."
