Merchant is happy with Spartans on an upswing
Coaches always talk about adversity and what players can learn if they weather the challenges.
Michigan State women's basketball coach Suzy Merchant and her Spartans were served a plate heaped with adversity this regular season, with injuries, illness and attrition, mostly things out of their control.
But the Spartans are on the upswing at the right time and trying to take control as they head into the Big Ten Tournament. They are seeded No. 9 and face in-state rival Michigan, the No. 8 seed, on Thursday at the Sears Center Arena in suburban Chicago.
They won their final three games and four of the last five, the only loss a six-point decision to then-No. 5 Maryland.
"March is the best time of year, what you work for," Merchant told reporters this week. "We've had our challenges, that's for sure, but I've never been prouder of a group, honestly, that I've coached in my 20 years as a head coach than this group.
"I'm not satisfied with where we're at, I mean I'm not condoning it or saying I'm happy with it, but at the end of the day I've never seen a group of kids work as hard as they have. I'm just really proud how they've fought every game."
Michigan State, which has reached six straight NCAA Tournaments, is 15-14 and 7-11 in the Big Ten entering the tournament.
Considering how the Spartans started the season, the final records seem hard to grasp. They were 8-3 in the nonconference, including games against ranked teams, Baylor and Syracuse. But the team was hit hard by injuries and illness and in a New Year's eve game against Indiana had only seven healthy players. The Spartans opened Big Ten play losing their first five games and seven of their first eight.
"We started out so well, in some ways I was a little surprised being 8-3 with the competition we played and Top 25," Merchant said. "And then I was more surprised we hit the wall the way we did. Our kids never stopped believing or fighting."
The reality is simple for the Spartans: They need to win the Big Ten tournament. The winner of the Michigan-Michigan State game next faces top seed Maryland.
"You've got to win it all to have a chance to get into the NCAA Tournament," Merchant said. "Anything can happen. Ohio State last year got it rolling. Anything can really happen this time of year. We're going to have to make sure a lot of things go right for us with a limited bench, but I think we've done a good job managing their energy."
Michigan State lost both regular-season games to Michigan, and this will mark the third year in the row the teams will meet in the Big Ten tournament. The Spartans are 4-0 against the Wolverines in tournament play, including quarterfinal victories the last two seasons.
The Wolverines finished the season 16-13 and 8-10 Big Ten, including a loss to Illinois in the regular-season finale.
Merchant said facing Michigan doesn't provide added motivation heading into postseason play, even noting the Wolverines swept the two-game series this season.
"Like last year, we beat them and I would still feel the same way I feel now," she said. "I'm still just as fired up and nervous for the game, and when were Big Ten champions last year, I felt the same way. It will be a war. I think our kids are ready to get after it a little bit."
Michigan State is led by playmakers Aerial Powers, an All-Big Ten first-team selection, and Tori Jankoska, a second-team selection, both sophomores who started 29 games.
Powers is the Big Ten's second-leading scorer, averaging 21.9 points and 12.1 rebounds, and leads the conference and is third nationally with 22 double-doubles. She is averaging 35.5 minutes.
Jankoska has emerged as an important piece as the point guard and is fifth in the Big Ten in scoring, averaging 17.6 points. She ended the season with three straight 20-plus point games. Jankoska, 5-foot-8, is 15th in the Big Ten in rebounding (7.0) and ninth in assists (4.0).
The late surge by Jankoska has not gone unnoticed.
"Tori having more of a commanding presence and being able to score from the point, that's what she gotten better at over time," Merchant said. "I don't know where she pulled that energy from and that toughness (to find balance in her game late in the season). She's a warrior, that's all there is to it. To watch her grow defensively and grow that side of the ball, she's just so tough. She's found ways to get in her own rhythm. She's just settling into staying aggressive and making sure she can make good reads."
Staying healthy will be the key for the Spartans to make a run in the tournament. They recently added to the roster former MSU volleyball player Kelsey Kuipers, who also has been part of the Spartans' track team. MSU is without Jasmine Hines, who is out for the season, while Branndais Agee and Madison Williams missed the season with torn knee ligaments.
They haven't made practices light, but clearly it's in the Spartans' best interest to be rested.
"You're one injury away from disaster," Merchant said. "If you're going to play back-to-back-to-back you've got to have some semblance of legs."
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