Travis Trice Provides Senior Leadership Down The Stretch
By Chris Morgan
Name: Travis Trice
University: Michigan State University
Year: Senior
Height: 6'0''
Weight: 170
Hometown:Huber Heights, OH
Position: G
For most of the season, Denzel Valentine led the way for the Michigan State Spartans. However, Travis Trice, the senior who was the ersatz court general for the team, was right alongside him all the way. Then, down the stretch, Trice took over. There was an eight-game streak late in the season where he scored at least 16 points per game. They only lost two of those games. This included two Big Ten Tournament games, a win over the Ohio State Buckeyes, and a big upset over the eighth ranked Maryland Terrapins. Unfortunately for the Spartans, he floundered in the Big Ten tournament finale, as he only scored nine points in an overtime loss to the Wisconsin Badgers. Had they won the game, their seed in the tournament could have gotten a real boost. Instead, they had to settle for a seven seed, and a matchup with the Georgia Bulldogs.
By season's end, Trice had overtaken Valentine as the top scorer for Michigan State. Trice averaged 14.8 points per game, while Valentine averaged 14.5. However, Trice is not as reliable and efficient as a scorer. He only made 39.1% of his field goals, and was a poor free throw shooter, only converting 69.4% of his shots from the charity stripe. For a guard, that's not a great conversion rate. Trice is a decent enough three-point shooter, but the fact he took the most shots, and dwarfed everybody else in free throw attempts, is why he ended up leading the way. Not that Trice is a ball hog. He led the team with 5.2 assists per game, and he only turned the ball over 1.7 times per game. Valentine was second in assists, but turned the ball over much more often.
Trice may be in his fourth season, but this is the first time Tom Izzo has given him real playing time, and real control of the ball. He's averaging 10 more minutes per game than in his junior season. This is his first time averaging double-digit points. In fact, his previous career high was 7.3 points per game. Trice is talking twice as many shots, and generally is finally getting a chance to play, and he's making the most of it.
Obviously, this is Trice's final season. As an undersized guard who isn't a great ball distributor, or shooter, he has no NBA future. However, he still has the chance to lead a Spartans team that has picked up its play late in the season deep into the tournament. Winning against Georgia is doable, if not likely. They are the favorites, after all. However, after that, they will likely have to play the Virginia Cavaliers, the two seed. It will take great play from Trice, and others, to pull off the upset. Trice will need to get to the line, and convert. He can't have another performance like he had against Wisconsin. Otherwise, Trice's college career will be over in short order.
Chris Morgan has been a diehard Detroit Lions fan through the good (Barry Sanders) and the bad (Matt Millen) and that love has led him to take jobs writing about sports, including as a fantasy sports "expert." His work can be found on Examiner.com. .