MSU is a strange team, statistically.
1) They are not very good offensively: under 30% 3-point shooting, though a pretty good overall FG%, not very many players who even take 3's, let alone make them. YET ... they score a lot of points ... like A LOT of points (over 81 ppg). And win a LOT of games by 10+ points. Rebounding and offensive rebounding (40% of misses) are a significant part of this. They also shoot 81% from FT, and make more FT's than their opponents even attempt ... and have committed 298 fouls, while their opponents have committed 361 fouls - a very large gap.
2) MSU does all this offense with just ONE player averaging in double digits (Akins), only ONE player averaging even 26 mpg (Akins), and only TWO players averaging even 23 mpg (Fears at 23 mpg). They go a legit 10 deep, along with 4 post players who are 6'9" to 7'0". Ouch, for RU without Ogbole.
3) They are a superb defensive team (holding opponents - and a lot of good ones are in their schedule - to just 40% FG, and 29% 3-point FG. Yet they do this without forcing many turnovers (just 12.4/game), without blocking shots (just 5/g), without getting a ton of steals.
4) I have watched them play several times this year. One thing the eye test very clearly jumps out: No team in the country goes from rebound or even in-bounding at the baseline after a made shot to THEIR rim for a shot FASTER than MSU ... they are really fast moving the ball up the court ... like really, really fast. They get a ton of easy baskets this way, so RU will have to be very good in transition - like on every possession.
5) How does MSU go 16-2, 11 wins in a row, average 15 ppg scoring margin, against a strong schedule: I don't know for sure, other than that they are a really good team ... but how? As they say in Shakespeare In Love: "its a mystery."
