Last summer, Matt McQuaid spent his time healing and resting after undergoing double sports hernia surgery ― a procedure that cost him offseason time on the court and in the weight room.This summer, however, the 6-foot-4 junior shooting guard has been in the gym, emphatically working on his physical stature, his dribbling and continuing to grow into the role of the Spartans’ most lethal shooter.He wants to make up for missed time.
Source: Lansing State Journal
Matt McQuaid dribbled to the wing where he was faced up against Michigan State teammate Kenny Goins, who stood a few feet off of him. Typically, McQuaid might have hoisted the 3-pointer. But in the Moneyball Pro-Am game Thursday at Aim High Sports, his jumper had been struggling. So instead, he crossed over to his right and drove to the basket for a nifty up-and-under layup.
Source: Land of 10
If you take away his name, high school picture and change his class to 2017, a lot of people would be hyped for Matt McQuaid for the upcoming season. He’s a 6-foot-4 guard that can shoot and “make a play for a teammate when he draws multiple defenders.”
Source: Spartan Avenue
Matt McQuaid wasn’t on a roster for the Moneyball Pro-Am last summer.The Michigan State guard wasn’t able to do much of anything for a large chunk of last offseason. Coming off double sports hernia surgery, he missed out on that all-important summer development time between freshman and sophomore year. A year later, after an up-and-down sophomore season, McQuaid is healthy.
Source: Spartan Tailgate
The 2017-18 Michigan State basketball team has a chance to be special. The return of Miles Bridges made the Spartans the early favorite to win the Big Ten and even has them as the favorite to win the NCAA championship, but it could be likely-backup Matt McQuaid who puts this talented group over the top.
Source: Detroit Free Press
A backcourt with one of the most well-respected team captains in college basketball coming off of the bench (Nairn) to assist two budding players – one of the nation’s former top prospects (Langford) and the player who arguably has the best set of passing skills in college basketball (Winston) – doesn’t sound like a “problem” to most. But behind Nairn, there’s not much depth after that. McQuaid and Ahrens are the only players left on the roster that can get legitimate time in the rotation in the backcourt, and even Ahrens will see a lot of his minutes at small forward.
Source: Detroit Free Press
The Michigan State freshmen were the story of the season, but the sophomores did provide a lift throughout the season. Two of them played out of position and gave the Spartans some quality minutes throughout the season. The other struggled early in the season before hitting his stride down the stretch. Let’s take a look at the grades for MSU’s sophomores.
Source: isportsweb
Rod and Sam look back at a frustrating loss to Kansas, but still find plenty to be encouraged about going forward. Topics include:
We forget that they play in shorts and tank tops. On a court merely 50 feet wide. Hemmed in by thousands of spectators that can hear every groan. They play without helmets or masks. Without padding or any other sheathing that might separate the performance from the audience. And basketball is a performance. “You’re on a stage, man,” said Dane Fife. “And you’re half naked.”
Source: Detroit Free Press
On Nov. 17, 2015, guard Matt McQuaid introduced himself to Michigan State fans in the second game of his freshman season. Playing No. 4 Kansas in Chicago, Denzel Valentine starred with a triple-double that led MSU to a 79-73 win over the Jayhawks. But MSU might not have gotten the win without the play of McQuaid, who went 3-for-3 from behind the 3-point line and recorded a key block late.
Source: Spartan Tailgate
Rob McQuaid’s phone started buzzing the second he turned his phone on.His wife Karen’s phone started beeping, too. The couple had just landed at the Dallas airport after a weekend in Washington, D.C., watching their son, Michigan State sophomore Matt McQuaid, at the Big Ten basketball tournament. They knew it was selection Sunday, but couldn’t help but wonder why they were receiving a barrage of text messages.
Source: Lansing State Journal
Matt McQuaid remembers the moment vividly. It was last March 18 when No. 15 seed Middle Tennessee State led No. 2 Michigan State by nine points with 5.1 seconds left in the first, and last, game for the Spartans in the NCAA Tournament. McQuaid and Kyle Ahrens, both freshmen, ran up opposite sidelines as the Spartans raced for the final shot of the game, however unnecessary.
Source: Land of 10
Being a No. 9 seed is not ideal for the Spartans because with a win over Miami the Spartans would likely have to play No. 1 seed Kansas. No matter the opponent, players will have to step up if the Spartans want to make some noise in the tournament.
Source: isportsweb
To make a deep run in the postseason, Michigan State needs more than just its freshmen. Three sophomores showed Thursday they can help, too.The Spartans got key contributions during their 78-51 Big Ten tournament-opening win over Penn State from a number of players whose roles have increased — and whose importance could go a long way to determining how this season will finish.
Source: Detroit Free Press
Michigan State basketball has gotten production from multiple players since Eron Harris went down with injury, but can any of them be relied upon in the postseason?
Source: Spartan Avenue
Tom Izzo insists he knew the real Matt McQuaid was in there somewhere, it was just a matter of time before he showed. And now, after breaking out with a season-high 15 points in Sunday’s win over Wisconsin, the key for the sophomore guard will be finding a way to string together a few good games, especially with the Spartans entering the final week of the regular season.
Source: Detroit News
Tom Izzo has admittedly learned a lot during a season in which he’s relied on four freshmen and hasn’t had the same kind of team he’s used to having because of a lack of size and veteran leaders. Recently, he’s learned a lot about a sophomore guard who entered this season coming off double hernia surgery and hasn’t been nearly the player Izzo, his staff and the fans thought he could be this season. But Matt McQuaid never got discouraged, never stopped putting the time in and finally, it appears that is starting to pay off.
Source: Spartan Tailgate
Sam and Rod are back to revel in yet another masterful Tom Izzo coaching job. We break down the huge home win against Wisconsin, a commanding victory over Nebraska earlier in the week, and then look ahead to road dates with Illinois and Maryland to close out the regular season.
Topics include:
Eron Harris’ season-ending knee injury opens a job in Michigan State’s starting lineup. Alvin Ellis says he doesn’t care whether he gets it. Matt McQuaid doesn’t, either. But both shooting guards are in line for more minutes over the final four games of the regular season and beyond.
Source: Detroit Free Press
How to replace Eron Harris? Tom Izzo counts the ways Detroit Free Press
Coach Tom Izzo thinks Alvin Ellis has worked his way into Michigan State’s starting lineup, but there remain a lot of ways he could approach the rest of the season without shooting guard Eron Harris. He could keep Ellis, his last remaining senior, coming off the bench, a role in which Ellis has thrived. It could mean starting Matt McQuaid again. It could mean more minutes at shooting guard for Joshua Langford.
Facing another new rotation, Tom Izzo is ‘leaning toward’ Alvin Ellis III as a starter MLive
Tom Izzo has trotted out eight different starting lineups this season. No. 9 might come on Thursday. With Eron Harris out with a season-ending injury, Izzo is left sifting through the options of who to start in this week’s home game against Nebraska (12-14, 6-8 Big Ten).
MSU could turn to Ellis, McQuaid to replace Harris Detroit News
While Eron Harris gave an impassioned speech to his teammates and coaches on Sunday night, the bigger issue for coach Tom Izzo and his staff is figuring out where Michigan State goes from here. Harris, who injured his right knee on Saturday at Purdue and will require surgery that will keep him out the rest of the season, started 24 of 27 games this season and replacing him will be the next task.
Izzo using this week to figure out how to replace Eron Harris Spartan Tailgate
Michigan State senior Eron Harris started 24 of 27 games he appeared in this season, including each of the last 12. But Thursday when the Spartans host Nebraska, there will be a new starter in his place, as Harris’ college career ended Saturday in West Lafayette after he sustained a serious knee injury that will require surgery. The original diagnosis from MSU was a badly sprained knee for Harris. He will undergo surgery in the next three or four weeks after the swelling goes down, and head coach Tom Izzo said they’ll have a better indication then of the exact injury.