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Welcome to The Final Four Is Not on the Schedule discussion board. A forum for the serious and casual MSU fan. Opinions welcome – stay respectful.
I just finished listening to post OSU podcast and I agree with Rod about AJ not being in the mold of previous point guards. AJ isn’t a leader. He’s a good player but that’s where it ends. Unfortunately on any Izzo team AJ is responsible for leading.
People blame Izzo for poor roster construction and focus on the bigs in particular but his mistake is believing he could coach AJ into a leadership role.
AJ is limited in developing leadership skills. He just can’t grasp how to be a leader. Izzo has been successful in coaching leadership in the past but AJ is more than difficult. I think it’s probably too late for AJ to figure it out this season. Too bad Fears isn’t available because now Izzo is stuck with a point guard with a critical deficiency for the remainder of the season.
I hope AJ gets better beyond MSU for his own sake.
Can’t disagree with what you said. It just seems like AJ just never got what it takes to be a PG at MSU. Lack of consistency, building up others, holding themselves - a more importantly - yourself accountable.
If there’s a criticism to heap on Izzo here it would be believing that AJ could be that guy. I think he was wrong no matter how the season ends. Izzo made a bet, like he does all the time, and it didn’t work out.
Doesn’t mean Izzo is washed but that he threw the dice on this kid and crapped out. He’s won far more of these bets than he has lost but not this time.
I was a glass half-full AJ guy for 3+ years, but that is now difficult. He was playing real good ball at the end of last year, real good. Is he not in shape this year? When you can't finish at the rim, that often can be a reason. Either way, he's finishing about as well at the rim this year as he did his freshman year and that just doesn't cut it. I'd like to know how many layups he's missed this year. Those misses have turned the tide in at least a few games.
Stuff happens and not everyone can play well all the time, I get that. What I don't get though is how he can go for 0 for umpteen, finally make a basket and then do his muscle flex like he's some sort of world-beater. Barry Sanders must be cringing in the stands. It's a real put-off when he does that and it's also a real put-off the way he displays contempt and dismay for his teammates if they do something wrong. Walk the walk.
Kindness is free.