Overall grade: B
The best word to describe the MSU women's basketball team this season is inconsistent. From all aspects of the game, the Spartans have been a frustrating team.
The up-and-down effort has been alarming. Losses to Hofstra, Maryland (the score, not the result) and Penn State have been especially troubling. Wins against South Florida, Iowa and Illinois have shown what this team is all about, and overtime wins at Cal State-Northridge and Indiana have shown this team has toughness and heart.
With the season wearing on, the performances will become more consistent and the silly mistakes will go away.
Backcourt: B
The biggest problems that have plagued MSU's backcourt have been inconsistent (there's that word again) shooting and turnovers.
Out of the trio of sophomore Mia Johnson and seniors Rene Haynes and Victoria Lucas-Perry, only Lucas-Perry is shooting 40 percent. Haynes is shooting 37 percent and Johnson is shooting 34 percent. All three have nice assist numbers, but only Haynes maintains a positive assist-to-turnover ratio.
Lucas-Perry and Johnson have both shown the ability to knock down shots from the outside while Haynes can be counted on for big shots and extremely tough defense.
Frontcourt: A-
Freshman Allyssa DeHaan has given MSU more than expected on both ends of the floor and has been a solid player despite recent struggles. Her rebounding numbers have fluctuated against tougher competition, but her blocked shots have been nothing short of astonishing.
Aisha Jefferson has shown flashes of incredible post moves, but she is still young and wasn't totally healthy entering the season.
Senior Myisha Bannister has given the Spartans a big lift recently, providing some veteran leadership on the defensive end and showing the ability to knock down shots when needed.
The biggest problem with this group is they don't get enough shots, especially when things are going well.
Bench: B-
The main reason for the lower grade is the depth just isn't there — the players able to contribute have. Senior Katrina Grantham has provided solid contributions all season long and junior Courtney Davidson is getting back into the swing of things. Injuries to junior Laura Hall and sophomore Lauren Aitch have really thrown a wrench into the depth in the post.
Junior Alisa Wulff has provided energy but hasn't been seen much recently. Freshman Takeya Fortner has made a push for more minutes recently, but until the last few weeks her contributions were limited.
The ability of the starters to go extended minutes have helped hide the limited depth of the bench.
Coaching: B
The same problem that haunted this team last season returned this season: The ability to win a big game on the road. The Spartans were blasted by Maryland, knocked off by Rutgers and melted down against Penn State — only to blow them away at home the next week. MSU has some nice road wins, but things have gone awry in the big games.
The staff has handled depth issues and the lack of a true starting point guard as best they could. But getting the team ready to play on the road is going to be very important for the Big Ten Tournament and for the team to advance past the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament.
