Michigan State Basketball under Izzo = Repetitive Thuggery. It is based on the premise that psychologically an official wouldn't and couldn't possibly call a foul on every play. You need a good bench (4 bench players in the rotation = 20 fouls to give) and you teach a grab and push defense that dumbs down the officiating to only calling those fouls that nearly draw blood, or in fact do draw blood.
This has been the recipe for beating Iowa. I believe Izzo coaches to a physicality meter. If the team is ahead and hitting shots, they play to sporadic thuggery. When you are down in the last ten minutes, in the huddle Izzo requests the maximum level of physicality, and some teams melt.
How do you stop this style of play? You can turn the other cheek and continue to play your game...or you can punch the freaking bully in the mouth. We've turned the other cheek and look at our record against MSU. Time to punch the bully. Fran, you have a deep bench...tell the second team guys to play as physical as possible...use up Woody (he likes it) and McCabe as the enforcers. If those two don't have 8-9 fouls by the 7 minute mark of the second half, I'll be disappointed.
