MADISON, Wis. — Russell Byrd’s brief appearance in Michigan State’s win Tuesday night at Wisconsin went about as poorly as it could.
At the beginning of his only two minutes on the court, almost midway through the second half, MSU’s redshirt sophomore captain turned the ball over on an inbound pass and then, on the Spartans’ next possession, drew an offensive foul trying to drive around a defender on the perimeter.
Byrd’s first turnover led to a Wisconsin 3-pointer, though not directly. His second didn’t turn into Badgers points.
His stint at Iowa was a struggle, too — a missed wide-open 3 when the Spartans trailed by four and then a passed-up 3 that led to a tough shot by a teammate and a fast-break bucket other way.
The question posed of coach Tom Izzo by one reporter after Tuesday’s game, was essentially whether the Spartans could afford to play Byrd, whether he’d become a liability?
It was a fair question. Not a pleasant topic, because Byrd has behaved with class during what must be an incredibly difficult year for him, a prolonged slump of confidence that doesn’t seem to be improving.
Here was Izzo’s answer:
“I haven’t played him that many minutes. I feel bad for the kid. He’s almost like snake bit. He comes in and does two things right off the bat. And it’s hard.
“I told you when BJ (Branden Dawson) was starting to play with more energy, he’s playing better. Russ has been shooting very well, he’s earning that. But there’s more than just shooting well. You’ve got to feel confidence in yourself. And you can see he didn’t have that. And we’re going to keep working with Russ. Because if we ever get a guy like him who can shoot it as well as he’s starting to shoot it in practice, it’s gong to be a benefit for our team.”
It was an interesting response. I’ve thought most of this season that Byrd, if he ever hit a few shots in a row, could have an enormous impact, even if playing 10 minutes a game. Because he was once a drop-dead 25-foot shooter, the sort of player that impacts defenses and defensive spacing, and could really help a team with the sort of athletes MSU has at its disposal.
But, with each game, it looks less and less like that’ll happen this year. His net on-court impact at Iowa and Wisconsin was minus-something, and in two games where the margin for error was so small, it could have been costly.
Another story line from Tuesday night was all the talk of togetherness and leadership in the locker room. I usually stay away from much discussion on leadership. It’s a word that, when in a headline, has readers’ eyes glossing over.
But it’s clearly a sensitive topic to center Derrick Nix, who’s had the unenviable task of following Draymond Green as perceived team leader and captain. Nix feels the criticism when it appears leadership is lacking. But here’s what he said Tuesday night about why MSU is so good late in close games:
“I think it’s our togetherness and our leadership. A lot of people say I’m not Draymond Green or whatever, but I’ve got help.
“(Branden) Dawson helps me lead, (Adreian) Payne helps me lead, (Keith) Appling helps me lead, Byrd helps me lead. … There’s not just one leader on this team.”
This, after earlier telling me …
“There are no egos on this team. That’s why I love this team. No disrespect to the previous years that I’ve been here. But I think this is the best team, being a senior, that I’ve been on since high school. I love this team. I love every player from Appling to (Keenan) Wetzel.”
Every team has egos to some degree. Still, hearing Nix explain his feelings for this team, one he probably feels more responsibility toward than any other he’s been on, was a moment worth sharing.
As is this. Here’s a short YouTube video of MSU’s postgame celebration, from Spartan All-Access.
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I still hold out hope for Byrd. He needs more than a good few minutes on the court, because he has dug a deep hole in terms of confidence. But a couple of good outings in a row and we may see him start to come around. We need a reliable shooter.
+1
+ 0
I think he will be a vauable contributer to this team at some point in his career. You can just tell that he really cares and if he can get through this tough season I think he can turn it around. Remember when he was red shirted as a freshman and everyone was hoping that Izzo would lift the redshirt so we could have his shooting? Man that seems like a long time ago, but that speaks to his potential. If he can somehow get his confidence back he will be OK. At this point that seems like a big IF, but I hope and think that he will.
Not everyone
We need to crush a team by 20 points and give Byrd some quality minutes in the second half. It is difficult to gain confidence on the road in a close game. He is only a sophomore, but I expect zero the remainder of the season. He is a shooter that (currently) cannot shoot. Do we play bigs that cannot rebound or guards that cannot dribble?
Russell byrd will not pan out ever for msu, playing time is not going to help him, either you have it or you don,t , and yes he hurts the team when he comes in . He turns the ball over atleast 3 times and commits stupid fouls in bad moments.
I think Byrd could have really benefited by a few more non-conference blowout wins in which he could have played double digit minutes. Obviously barring any injuries, those kind of minutes will not be coming his way the rest of this season.
One thing to keep in perspective, however, is the fact that he is only a red shirt sophomore, with two more full seasons of college basketball in front of him. In this day and age we expect players to just burst onto the scene ready for the big stage (we have a player like that in Harris)… but Izzo has also recruited players who were slow burners. Remember Drew Naymick? A complete defensive and offensive liability when he was on the court his first couple seasons. His senior season? Starting center and a reliable, if not flashy, contributor on both sides of the ball. How great did Tim Bograkos or Austin Thornton look after only a season and a half playing for MSU, versus their senior years?
Of course, there is the occasional player who never quite lives up to the hype, however unfair that may be. Isaiah Dahlman, Tom Herzog (if he could just put on some weight!), and even Kelvin Torbert all arrived in East Lansing to expectations that were never met. It doesn’t make them bad basketball players or quitters or lazy or bad people.. big time college basketball player and full time university student are two things most of us would never be able to juggle simultaneously, let alone successfully, let’s not forget that.
spot on
Yes and No. Yes, because it’s pretty apparent if you have watched any games he’s been in. No, because if he get’s it untracked this team will be nearly unstoppable. Coach will do the right thing w/o a doubt.
I posted a couple weeks ago that, from all game appearances, Byrd is way way way overmatched on a B10 floor. The Iowa and Wisconsin episodes have materialized since that observation. Sorry to slam Izzo on this, but even if Byrd could drain 3′s in HS, his extremely limited athleticism and lack of court awareness should have been “red flags” in the recruiting process. My guess is Izzo suspected it was a reach for Byrd to match up in the B10, but that HS shooting ability was worth the risk. Unless Byrd can consistently drain 3′s and play just respectable defense…he doesn’t belong on the floor.
Byrd seems like a great young man and has handled this situation with class. As I suggested previously, Byrd and MSU would likely benefit if he were to transfer to a program more suitable to his (limited) athletic ability. I had suggested Ball State, with other home state options like Valpo, IPFW, Indiana State etc. being appropriate.
Byrd wouldn’t even have played last night if not for Dawson having foul trouble. The kid seems like a stand up guy, but just can’t handle the speed of big ten hoops.
Good points about # Zero not getting any minutes in blow out games – I too think it could only help him, but I put a little responsibility on whatever coach had him come in cold off the bench to inbound a pass under the hoop midway through the second half of a close road game at the Kohl Center. Not the ideal situation for a young man who has clearly struggled when on the court this year. He wasn’t used to the speed or quickness at that point.
I can only hope Byrd turns it around at some point. As noted, he has 2 more years of eligibility and perimeter shooting is always welcome.
Couch is salaried journalist and this tactic of creating content by questioning a college athlete’s contribution to a team as a blog headline is really a low blow and the last straw.
Fans who think they have the right to criticize peers playing for their college, or alumnus who pay for cable subscription and want their ounce of flesh for being frustrated are pathetic. For Couch to use this topic as a lightning rod to generate traffic and fill space on the LSJ sports pages is more pathetic.
Give the kid a break! Injure your foot and have a few surgeries. Then imagine being Byrd, who gets a few minutes a game with the knowledge that a mistake puts him back on the bench. Just to compete at a high level against tough defensive opponent in their building ought to make most sensible folks to have some empathy and hope Byrd overcomes the miscues and contributes.
This isn’t a cheap shot at Byrd, Mayo. There may be no player on MSU’s team I like more, based on my dealings with him. He’s a Division I athlete on a high-profile team and a player I honestly believe the fan base really roots for. I don’t care about web hits. I’m no longer with a company where that’s the basis for news judgement. But Byrd is a topic that interests readers. Nothing written here isn’t fair to Byrd.
Byrd is a topic of reader interest, fair enough. Your sentiments towards Byrd are thoughtful and Izzo’s answer to the “reporter’s” question is spot on.
However, the negative headline questioning whether a player is hurting his team by playing and serving it up to bloggers is unnecessary?
I disagree that any question posed in a press conference is a story because some “reporter” asks a question? That reporter is so far into the forest of fair game content, that they cannot see the trees through the woods.
As for you asking your faithful bloggers for their two cents about a struggling 20 year old student athlete is wrong for several reasons: first, the headline suggests it’s okay for bloggers to negatively critique someone’s overall contribution to his team based on two minutes of play. Play which you go into detail of the action and not so good consequences. Many of these bloggers haven’t a clue about the rigors of Div. 1 competition, yet alone returning from a severe injury to an unappreciated part of our anatomy. In addition, to opening up Byrd to criticism, you’re focusing on a negative and small portion of Byrd’s total contribution to the MSU basketball team. This focus on a negative after a B1G road win against a nemesis at the top of the conference standings is major kill joy.
Further, this dwelling on negative content after a positive game appears to be a habit of Graham Couch’s, and I am done visiting.
Anyone who starts talking about “do you know who I am” has nothing to say that interests me. You’re doing a good job, Couch. Ignore the trolls. Anyone who watched the game and felt bad for Byrd asked the same question you posed here. The fact that you posted such insulting and ad hominem comments above shows your character, but they add nothing but vitriol here. They should have been blocked, IMO.
We all can have our opinions about couch. I think he would name his blog “From the Book depository Window” if he wrote in Dallas. He is an irritant because he thinks it is the only way to grab headlines and make stories interesting. Interesting they are not. I have stopped underwritting his spam be cancelling my subscription as of today! Bye, all.
You’ll be sorely missed, LeeBee
If HGTV ever buys Gannett they may have to rename this blog Couchunters.
So this is what it’s come down to, Cracker posting as somebody else supporting Cracker. Easy as pie to check IP addresses. “I have a set of skills…..”
At this point it is a legitimate question. I feel bad for Byrd too. It’s gotta be killing him. And I watched him coming out of halftime shooting in warm-ups versus Nebraska and he was like Jimmy Chitwood shooting outdoors on the playground in “Hooisers.” He made 14 out of 15 three pointers from the corner or the elbow as I actually counted. He needs a couple of games with 5-7 solid minutes and who knows – maybe he can become Austin Thornton circa 2011-2012 senior season.
Thats probably going to have to come in the non conferance next season only time I ever saw him smile on the court was after an uncontested 3 against UAPineBluff. I think at least 9 of our 11 remaining games will be decided by single digits.
I really feel for the guy. Nothing is going his way. And the pressure he must be feeling would be debilitating to any ones performance. I hate the thought of a psychologist, but if it hasn’t been discussed, it maybe time to do so. Not just for his on court performance, but for his mental well being in general. Personally I would rest him unless there was a twenty plus point lead. But to bench a Captain…….
Dear Mr. Couch: our basketball team is 17-3, rapidly improving and really does not need “negative” headlines just for story purposes. If you want to bring up something negative, talk about our hockey team with the worst overall and league records in the CCHA. I’ve heard a number of people say that the hockey crowds are back, but that will be short-lived if the current trend continues.\
Dmbtierney, I definitely understand where MSU’s basketball team stands and the story lines associated with it. Did you read my column from Wednesday? This was simply a side blog to a question many fans are wondering. Here’s the column …
MSU can no longer hide from its gaudy record
Keep doing what you’re doing, Graham. I ask the same question when he’s out there. Heck, during the Ohio State game I saw Costello screen air a couple of times and screamed at the TV and thought “this is a bad situation for Michigan State”.
It’s a freaking blog post.
Can’t we all just get along…
I got a question, where is Matt Costello? Mr. basketball and all what a snoozer