"I really didn't look to score as much as I did last year," Appling told Michigan State's official athletics site. "I wanted to get some of my teammates involved and then score when I can, play defense and do all the little stuff that matters."
It's significant that Appling would take a pass-first approach because the high-scoring combo guard likely will become Michigan State's primary ball handler and distributor next season as a result of the graduation of Kalin Lucas. Freshman Travis Trice also surely will play some minutes at point guard, but it appears likely that Appling will play on the ball more than he has previously.
If the U-19 World Championships were an audition for Appling, he definitely strengthened the notion that he's growing more comfortable at point guard and is ready to take over the position for the Spartans.
Appling came off the bench for the U.S. team, but he often looked more capable of setting up an offense and finding his teammates than starter Joe Jackson did. In just 10.2 minutes per game, Appling averaged 4.1 points and 1.2 assists, finishing with a flourish by scoring six crucial points in the final minutes of the U.S. team's one-point victory over Australia in Sunday's fifth-place game.
What makes Appling's steady play more impressive was that he overcame a sprained ankle two days before leaving for the tournament and swelling in his tonsils during it. The tonsils had to be drained, limiting his playing time to just two minutes against Lithuania and seven minutes against Croatia.
"There was a lot of blood everywhere, but I was able to suck it up and continue to play," Appling said. "I think I got better because there was a lot of adversity I had to deal with, but I was able to fight through it and help the team win some games."
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