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Denzel Valentine does it all in Michigan State's comeback win
The formula Michigan State used to upset fourth-ranked Kansas on Tuesday night isn't one the Spartans can possibly hope to duplicate too frequently this season.
Not even an All-American candidate like Denzel Valentine can shoulder this heavy a load very often.
Michigan State rallied for a 79-73 victory because Valentine refused to accept defeat. The senior guard had a hand in all but five points the Spartans scored after Kansas expanded its lead to 11 points midway through the second half.
There was the corner 3-pointer Valentine drilled with a hand in his face to give Michigan State its first lead since the opening minutes. There was this pinpoint feed to Matt McQuaid for a go-ahead 3-pointer on the Spartans' next possession. And there was his leaning jumper in the lane with 90 seconds to go that put his team in front for good.
Valentine became the fourth Michigan State player ever to record a triple-double, finishing with 29 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists. Of the 79 points the Spartans tallied, Valentine either scored or assisted on an incredible 57 of them.
What makes Valentine's performance even more remarkable is that he kept finding ways to score against numerous different types of defenders. When Kansas coach Bill Self tried point guards Frank Mason and Devonte Graham, Valentine would shoot over the top of them. When Self went bigger with wing Wayne Selden or power forward Perry Ellis, Valentine would blow by them off the dribble or free himself by running them through screens.
Michigan State needed every one of Valentine's baskets and assists on a night when the Spartans' frontcourt was severely shorthanded. With forwards Gavin Schilling and Marvin Clark both sidelined by injuries and center Matt Costello battling foul trouble, Michigan State surrendered 21 points to Ellis and a few more baskets to Carlton Bragg and Jamari Traylor.
That shouldn't be too big a longterm concern for Michigan State because Schilling and Clark will be back in the next few weeks, but the over-reliance on Valentine could be more of a lingering issue.
West Virginia transfer Eron Harris appears to be lacking confidence and struggling on defense. Point guard LouRawls Nairn struggled with his jump shot and was on the bench most of the second half. And since McQuaid and Bryn Forbes are mostly spot-up shooters, that puts a lot of pressure on Valentine to always be the one initiating the offense and creating off the dribble in late-clock situations.
Such an arrangement can often lead to stretches of stagnant, predictable offense over the course of a long season, but forgive the Spartans if they choose not to worry about that for now.
On this one night, they should celebrate Valentine's Day four months early in honor of the senior guard who carried his team to an unlikely victory.
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Jeff Eisenberg is the editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at daggerblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!