Michigan State basketball has landed in Hawaii for the Maui Invitational. Their first game is against the undefeated, 5-0, Virginia Tech Hokies on Monday, Nov. 25. This will be a tough out for the Spartans as the Hokies boast a solid roster.
Here is a scouting report of the Virginia Tech Basketball team:
Landers Nolley
Let’s start with the best player on the Hokies roster, Landers Nolley. Nolley is a 6’7″, 230-pound freshman Guard from Atlanta, GA. Yes, you read that right. Nolley is a towering guard that scores from all levels. He can get to the basket with dribble moves and shoots long-range shots at an efficient clip.
Nolley will be a test for Michigan State on defense. If healthy, Aaron Henry will definitely guard Nolley for most of this game. If not, MSU might be in trouble. So far, Nolley leads his team with 20.2 points per game. He also averages 4.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.2 steals. Most impressive, he is shooting 45.9% from three-point land and 50% from the field.
The Landers Nolley matchup is quite an interesting one. We’ll have to wait and see what Izzo cooks up.
Small Ball Domination
As I mentioned earlier, the Hokies are 5-0 on the year. their guards lead the team in numerous statistical categories. Virginia Tech guards lead the team in points, assists, steals, and even rebounds! So there is no doubt that Virginia Tech will run some sort of small-ball lineup.
Junior Guard Wabissa Bede leads the Hokies in both assists and steals with eight and 1.4 respectively. He is a perfect balance to Nolley’s impressive offensive skills. Wabissa handles the other teams best guard on the perimeter. That way, Nolley does not need to carry the team on both ends.
Wabissa also shoulders the playmaking load with that staggering eight assists. For comparison, Cassius Winston is averaging 7.0 assists on the year. Virginia Tech’s next leading scorer behind Nolley is freshman Guard Nahiem Alleyne. He averages 12.6 points on 46% from the floor.
Lastly, it is important to point out freshman Tyrece Radford. At 6’2″, Radford leads Virginia Tech in rebounds with seven per game. Now, this means Michigan State can dominate down low. Both Malik Hall and Xavier Tillman can clean the glass all game long for the Spartans.
Michigan State takes on Virginia Tech at 5 P.M. Eastern Time. You can catch this game on ESPN 2.
Stay locked on Spartans Wire for more coverage of this game and all things MSU basketball.
