When I played, home or away was of no significance to me....an attitude I learned early from a coach who took us around the gym measuring all lines, hoops, circles and balls to prove to us that they were identical. In fact, there were several other gyms in which I played as many as 15 games over my career that had rims with nets that seemed to make them look bigger than our home gym.
But the B1G road seems contrary to this mind set...and mostly due to the crowd. It can and does get into the head of EVERY player to some degree and becomes a factor. Yes, occasionally, we see teams come out hot on the road and take all the wind out of the sails of the home team and bury them so deep they cannot come back on inferior teams. But that is rare, and one only has to look at the record of visiting teams agains the spread to discern how much the home court means.
The point is, with this next game in East Lansing, there is no way we can predict what we will see. Will it be an Illini team full of plus shooters who can find the net? Or will it be an Illini team filled recently with doubt who finds a lid over the hoop on both ends? Who the heck knows? Can they match the energy that the Spartans get from the crowd and be physical and dominant on the boards? Or will they be a split second slow and let Sparty be at every right place at the right time?
My overall impression is that on a neutral court, the Illini would win maybe 67% of the time or more against Sparty in a match of this season's teams. But in East Lansing, Sparty likely would win 50% of the time....and that makes this game a tossup.
I do agree, it is time for Melendez to start a game. Also a time to show some zone and full court press. Not as a weapon, but I think it would make Izzo think "oh no!" Being predictable gives good coaches an advantage. Putting RJ and even Goode on the floor gives more size, quickness, and defense with little drop off in shooting. Then, when Curbelo, Grandy, DMW, and Payne or BBV arrive, they can score and defend also....well, three of them can anyway.
What I want to see is to stop trying to do the same thing over and over. It may be easy...but not close to a good thing in college hoops. When you have a talented team of mixed skills...some elite...try mixing them when in a funk. And I fully understand that you can't change starters overnight and expect good chemistry... but chemistry can turn on a dime...and this team has turned on a dime in the wrong direction lately. Time to give them all some love and put some inspiration in them...and energy.
