Sweet no-look assist highlights Denzel Valentine’s return
Just having Denzel Valentine healthy and back on the floor probably was enough to satisfy Michigan State, but the national player of the year candidate made sure his return was memorable.
He had a first-half no-look pass that proved to be the highlight of the fifth-ranked Spartans’ 92-65 rout of Penn State on Sunday afternoon in State College, Pa.
With Michigan State already leading by 13 midway through the first half, Valentine drove into the paint, drew a crowd and flipped a one-handed no-look over-the-shoulder pass to Gavin Schilling alone under the rim. Schilling caught the pass and turned it into a reverse layup, easily the prettiest basket in an one-sided game.
Valentine showed some rust in his first game since undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery Dec. 21, missing all five first-half shots he attempted. He redeemed himself with a more typical second-half performance, finishing with 10 points, four rebounds and four assists in 23 minutes off the bench.
All in all, Michigan State survived Valentine’s absence quite nicely, going 3-1 with victories over Oakland, Minnesota and Illinois and a lone loss at Iowa. The injury highlighted why Valentine is as important to his team as any player in the nation, yet key role players Bryn Forbes, Matt Costello and LouRawls Nairn surely benefited from having to take more responsibility with their do-it-all star sidelined.
Forbes sank six threes on Sunday and scored 20 points, his fourth game in the five since Valentine’s injury with at least 17 points. Big men Schilling, Costello, Deyonta Davis and Marvin Clark combined for an efficient 36 points and 20 rebounds.
The Spartans will see the same Hawkeyes team that handed them their lone loss this season on Thursday night in a pivotal Big Ten game at the Breslin Center. With Valentine back in the fold and his supporting cast having gained confidence, expect a far more competitive game this time around.
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Jeff Eisenberg is the editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
