Minnesota is in town, and a few other odds and ends

Fresh off their stunning 22-21 victory over Iowa, the Minnesota Gophers are in town to face the Spartans.  That win over the Hawkeyes probably caught MSU's full attention, and I expect the Spartans to play a focused game today and bouce back from last week's disappointing loss at Nebraska.  I'm looking at a 38-10 MSU victory today--but based on how wrong I was with last week's prediction, perhaps I should stay away from prognostication.

I can't afford season tickets to Michigan State football, but I do have a modest streak of attending at least one game per year for the last 18 seasons.  This year, it was in danger of ending, but I'm happy to report that I just ordered tickets to the final home game against Indiana.  It probably won't be a great game, as the Hoosiers are a terrible team, but it is senior day and Kirk Cousins' last home game as a Spartan.  In addition, other outstanding seniors like Trenton Robinson, B.J. Cunningham, Joel Foreman, Keshawn Martin, and Keith Nichol will be playing their final games at Spartan Stadium.

Beyond that, one of my favorite activities of the autumn is attending Michigan State football games.  MSU's campus is gorgeous in the fall, and there is something simply sublime about bundling up, drinking some hot coffee or hot chocolate in the stands, and being a part of the whole pageantry of college football.  The older I get, the more I appreciate it.

In other Big Ten action today, Michigan and Iowa square off in Iowa City in what should prove to be a fascinating game.  Can the Hawkeyes rebound from last week or can the Wolverines win a big road game.  This game is a toss-up, but I'll give the game to Iowa based on home field advantage and a desire to atone for last week.  Nebraska takes on Northwestern in Lincoln, and though the Wildcats could give the Huskers a tough time, Nebraska should ultimately roll.  Ohio State should demolish Indiana, and Wisconsin is probably seething after their last two road heartbreakers and will take it out on poor Purdue.

The biggest game today is Alabama and LSU, which promises to be an outstanding game in the heart of insane SEC country.  Since the game is in Tuscaloosa, I'm going with the Tide to win a defensive tussle with the Tigers.

On the banner of this blog, there is a photograph of Bob Apisa, Clinton Jones, Bubba Smith, Gene Washington, and George Webster (overlayed with the name of the blog which I realize is difficult to decipher--I need to work on that).  The picture was taken in 1965, the first of two consecutive Big Ten championship years for the Spartans and two runs at the national title.  I have a deep appreciation for those great teams, and the role they played in the integration of collegiate athletics.  My intention for this blog is to not only write about the current Spartans, but to explore various aspects of Michigan State sports history.  So look for future posts that delve into the storied past of MSU athletics.

MSU basketball exhibition vs. Hillsdale

I managed to score two tickets to the exhibition game against Hillsdale and took my ten year-old son.  As soon as we stepped into Breslin, I immediately fueled him with Pepsi and popcorn and we were fairly good to go for the rest of the evening.

It's hard to take much from games like these.  Although Hillsdale played hard, they were clearly overmatched.  The Spartans led the entire game and really were not seriously challenged at any point in the game, as should be expected in an exhibition.  The final score was a fairly lackluster 80-58.

It was fun to see all the new faces on the MSU basketball team.  They are young, but have several athletic newcomers who should be enjoyable to watch this season.  I really have no idea what to expect from this year's team, but the sense of the unknown makes it more exciting, if that makes any sense.

Here are some observations, but keep in mind that I was sitting 28 rows up, behind the basket on the south side of Breslin, trying to keep my son entertained and dealing with several rugrats making lots of noise on my left: not exactly a position to be able to concentrate as fully as I'd like.

Travis Trice is one player who really stood out for me in this particular game.  The kid looks like a natural leader on the floor, has a nice smooth shot, and really works hard.

I had not seen Russell Byrd until tonight, and he's another player with a silky smooth shooting stroke from the perimeter.  Of course, I suppose it's easier to look smooth when one is playing against an overmatched team like Hillsdale, but I still like what I saw.  Trice and Byrd have big upsides, and both could develop into excellent contributors in the near future.

Of the other Spartan players, Draymond Green was solid, Derrick Nix looks to be in the best shape of his career, and Keith Appling did a great job guiding the team at point guard, though he struggled from three-point range and had a few ugly turnovers.  It will be interesting to see how much time Trice gets this season at point guard.  If he continues to play with the confidence and determination he displayed tonight, he will get significant playing time.

But I have absolutely no idea how these guys will play next week against North Carolina.  I suspect it could be a tough game for the Spartans, but they just might have the youthful energy and guilelessness to surprise some people.  And nobody likes an uphill challenge more than Tom Izzo.

One final note: I was genuinely impressed with how hard Hillsdale played, and the Chargers had one player who stood out for his moxie and grit.  He is a little guard named Tyler Gerber (#12).  The Hillsdale athletics website has him listed at 5' 10", but he didn't look any taller than 5' 7" from where I was sitting.  He finished with about 10 points and hustled the entire game.  He looks like a gym rat who isn't afraid of challenging anyone, even if his opponent is a foot taller than he is.  Good luck to Hillsdale the rest of the season.