An abrupt end to the basketball season

What is there to say?

Michigan State ran into a spirited team in Middle Tennessee State that out-worked, out-hustled, and out-shot them. The Spartans, unfortunately, played one of their worst games of the season when it mattered the most.

It's an incredibly sad way for Denzel Valentine, Bryn Forbes, Matt Costello, Colby Wollenman, and [maybe] Deyonta Davis to end their collegiate careers.

It also concludes what has been, outside of the Big Ten Tournament championship  (remember that?) and a first-round NCAA tourney win for the women's team, a bad week for MSU sports; and also, a bad week for two people associated with Spartan basketball, Branden Dawson and Mateen Cleaves. More on them later.

Back to today's game. I have to admit that, due to an unforeseen circumstance, I wasn't able to see most of it. Instead, I followed on my phone, listened to Will Tieman and Matt Steigenga's largely incredulous and mournful radio broadcast, and then finally the last 6 minutes or so of the CBS TV broadcast. Poor Steve Smith, former MSU standout, probably wishes to never have to provide color commentary for another MSU hoops game. Under the circumstances, he was unfailingly professional.

It was a stunning way for the season to reach conclude, and I still feel a bit numb. Strangely enough (or maybe not strangely), I'm neither angry nor even particularly depressed. More like shocked and numb. The Spartans seemed so out-of-sync today that I suppose I had a sense of foreboding throughout the game, and this gave me time to prepare myself for the inevitable.

Every single time it seemed that the Spartans might get it together and take the lead in this game, Middle Tennessee State responded with a score. In the final three minutes or so, the Spartans did what I rarely ever see them do: they panicked. Middle Tennessee, to borrow the tired old expression, smelled blood in the water and put MSU away.

Now to Branden Dawson and Mateen Cleaves. I'm disappointed with Dawson's situation (accused of domestic assault), but I am downright sick and despondent over Mateen Cleaves' sexual assault charge. Not that I know Cleaves personally, but from what I do know of him (or think I know of him), it seems completely out of character. If Tom Izzo, someone I consider to be of high moral standing, chose to name his son after Mateen, then that says a lot about Cleaves--or so it would seem.

It's now up to the court of law to decide. Maybe there is a dark side to Mateen Cleaves that few know about? I hope that's not the case, but if it is--and Cleaves committed the crimes of which he's accused, he needs to face the consequences.

Farewell to four unforgettable seniors

Michigan State fans will say farewell today to one of the greatest group of seniors to ever come through East Lansing: Matt Costello, Bryn Forbes, Denzel Valentine, and Colby Wollenman.

I predicted a breakthrough year for Costello, and I'm happy to say he came through. His defense and rebounding in particular have been so outstanding that he may very well be selected by somebody in the NBA draft. But beyond that, Costello brings a childlike enthusiasm to the game that is infectious. People who don't follow MSU basketball may be put off by Costello's exuberant demonstrations, but I've never considered Costello a showuboat. He plays the game with the spirit of an oversized 10-year-old.

Bryn Forbes has blown most people away with his prolific 3-point scoring. Few players come off screens more brilliantly than Forbes, and his shot fakes have embarrassed many an opposing defender. I've been referring to him as "Stephen Curry, Junior" through most of the season. I don't know if Forbes will be drafted by the NBA, but I have no doubt he'll be playing professionally somewhere next season.

Stories of Denzel Valentine were legendary even when he was a prep player at Lansing Sexton and, along with Bryn Forbes, leading the Big Reds to a state title in their senior year. I still regret not watching Valentine and Forbes play Okemos High School when they were in my neck of the woods. (At least I've been able to see them many times in college). I thought Valentine would be an excellent college player, but I didn't foresee him becoming a potential first round draft pick and possible national player of the year. The kid has truly been a joy to watch grow as a player these four years.

Colby Wollenman is one of those wonderful, improbable stories that happens every once in awhile. A guy who didn't even intend on playing basketball, but walked on the team and is now a scholarship player who has made valuable contributions to the team. Wollenman's basketball career ends today, but he may have a bright future as a doctor.

It's hard for me to see the Spartans losing to Ohio State today. Even though the Buckeyes are playing for their NCAA tournament lives, and the Spartans will be dealing with the emotions of this big day, MSU should have enough to come away with a victory.

Michigan State 69, Wisconsin 57

With about under a minute left in the game tonight at Breslin, I turned to my brother-in-law Michael and yelled, since it was pretty loud in the arena, "Wisconsin is the single most annoying [basketball] team in the Big Ten." The Badgers have a knack for getting away with a lot of, shall we say, aggressive play in the paint, getting plenty of calls in their favor, and simply being pesky.

But enough about me griping about Wisconsin, the Spartans put forth perhaps their best defensive effort of the season tonight--or at least the best one I've seen in awhile. (It's easy to let hyperbole get the best of you in the immediate aftermath of a big win). MSU, and in particular Deyonta Davis, shut down Nigel Hayes and they also contained Bronson Koenig, Koenig only had one three-pointer through most of the game, until late when the Spartans' D may have gotten a little lax and Koenig knocked down a few when the Spartans had already essentially clinched the win.

As far as I'm concerned, and granted I view the world through green glasses, Denzel Valentine is national player of the year. He has become a great shooter, and incredible passer and assist machine, gritty defender, and has the ability to drive the lane when the opportunity arises. But beyond that, Valentine is a great leader and makes every player on the floor better when he's out there (and even when he's not). I feel quite comfortable in placing Valentine in the pantheon of great Spartan basketball players/floor generals, a list that includes Earvin "Magic" Johnson, Scott Skiles, Steve Smith, Mateen Cleaves, and Draymond Green,

Shout outs also to Eron Harris (possibly his best game of the season), Bryn Forbes (his great shooting continues), Matt Costello (making a case for a shot in the NBA), and Matt McQuaid (didn't do anything on offense tonight, but has turned in to an excellent defender).

Well, my computer is about to die, and I need to try and get some sleep. Go Green!

Spartans blow out the Wolverines

I'm not sure that anybody saw that coming.

Michigan State absolutely hammered Michigan 89-73 at Crisler Arena and it wasn't really that close. Bryn Forbes impersonated Stephen Curry once again, Matt Costello continued his hard-nosed spirited play, Denzel Valentine showed everyone that he's back to his old self, and Michigan State looks like they officially have their mojo back.

I fully expected Michigan to give the Spartans everything they had, and thought the game may not be decided until the last one or two minutes of the game. Instead, the game was essentially over after about the first five minutes. Michigan did go on a bit of a mini-run late in the first half to cut the lead to eleven, but that was as close as they got. The Spartans led by 16 at halftime, got out of the gate quickly in the second half, built the lead to 30 late in the second half, and the deceptively closer score was a result of sloppy play by MSU's bench players.

From this fan's perspective, this is exactly what I needed after Michigan stole all the attention on football signing day. It actually was a great week for Spartans sports, with the MSU women's hoops team throttling Michigan mid-week, and the Spartan hockey team recording a rare victory when they slipped past the Wolverines in overtime, 3-2 on Friday night. (Unfortunately, the Spartan icers fell back to earth...or ice?...on Saturday night when they lost 4-1 to the Wolverines at Munn. Of course, I was glowing from the basketball win so I took this loss quite well).

But back to Spartan basketball. If you're a fan, you have to feel good about how this team looks right now. Clearly, the road game against Purdue will be a tough game, but one the Spartans can win, With the way the senior triumvirate of Costello, Forbes, and Valentine are playing, a win at Mackey Arena is certainly not out of the question.

Spartans/Wolverines basketball pre-game post

Another Michigan State/Michigan tilt is upon us, so I thought I'd take a few minutes to discuss it before tackling the task of cleaning the dirty cat boxes in the basement.

As usual, I face today's game with a degree of nervousness and trepidation. Though I think the Spartans should win, the game is in Ann Arbor and the Michigan basketball team is about as unpredictable as they come--if their shots fall, they are dangerous, but if they don't, disaster frequently follows. Some point to the Wolverines' drubbing at the hands of Indiana as an indication that the Wolvies are trending downward. Maybe. But I have a hard time believing that they will play that poorly in consecutive games--and this being a rivalry game, I fully expect Michigan to play extremely hard. But I also expect the Spartans to bring the ever-present chip on the shoulder. MSU has three senior leaders in Valentine, Costello, and Forbes who do not want to lose in what could be their final game against Michigan. So, for whatever my predictions are worth (since I'm a shameless homer), I'll pick MSU to win this one in a relatively close game, 82-75.

***

While on the subject of Michigan (a topic that never goes away), I should take the opportunity to clarify what I wrote about Michigan's recruiting event at Hill Auditorium. It's truly great that it raised so much money for the Chad Tough fund to fight cancer, and it's probably unfair of me to come down so hard on Jim Harbaugh. He has to be given credit for creating such a novel idea that was pulled off so successfully. It's exactly the sort of event that Mark Hollis has frequently devised here at Michigan State. Though I'm not always on board with every Hollis creation, I am generally more charitable towards him than I was towards Harbaugh. It was a stroke of genius to create an event that both loudly and extravagantly promoted the Michigan football program while also raising six figures for cancer research. Though I must admit I still view the whole affair with a bit of cynicism, kudos to Michigan for its generosity.

That was a rare moment of conciliation offered to the University of Michigan. I may be getting a little soft in my old age (though if you saw my back-and-forth with Michigan fans after signing day and after the Spartans' 3-2 win over Michigan in last night's hockey game, you might not think that's the case).

Now, before I get too warm and fuzzy with Michigan, it has to be said that lately they excel everywhere EXCEPT on the field. There is a constant bellowing bluster coming out of Ann Arbor about September Heismans, August Big Ten Champions, and Recruiting National Titles. I'm still waiting for any of this hot air to translate into results on the playing field.

Off to get to those cat boxes now. I may or may not get back to this blog after today's basketball game, depending on what mood I'm in.

Spartans rout the Nittany Lions

When this year's Spartan basketball team is firing on all cylinders, which thankfully has happened most of this season, they are an absolute joy to watch. This was definitely the case today, as MSU blew out Penn State 92-65 in State College.

It's windy and snowy outside here in Okemos, so it felt comfortable here on my couch drinking coffee with very little reason to get worked up. It did feel that Penn State was the beneficiary of some ticky-tack foul calls in the first half, resulting in a 19-3 free throw differential. This was the only reason the Nittany Lions were "only" down by 13 at the half.

The Spartans have so many weapons at their disposal. Bryn Forbes lit up the scoreboard in the first half, Matt Costello and Deyonta Davis continue to play brilliantly in the paint, with Costello in particular displaying some nifty moves in the last several games. Gavin Schilling provides strong defense, resembling an immovable brick wall in the post. And, lest I forget, how great is it to have Denzel Valentine back? He worked off his first half cobwebs and looked more himself in the second half, making "wow" passes and burying jumpers.

Now, how about we get some payback against Iowa on Thursday?

Michigan State/Alabama pre-game post, volume II (and some basketball)

Before I get to tomorrow's football game, let's start with hoops:

I don't know quite how or why, but I stuck with last night's Spartan basketball loss to Iowa all the way until the bitter end. It was easily the worst game our guys have played all season. The struggles last night are due to a variety of reasons. First and foremost, they miss Denzel Valentine...badly. It's not just that Valentine is the team leader in scoring, rebounds, assists, and steals--and arguably the best player in college basketball this season--it's that he is the undisputed leader of the team and makes everyone around him better. Valentine is, as Reggie Jackson once referred to himself, "the straw that stirs the drink." The Spartans were rudderless (or "strawless"?) without him last night.

The amount of lethargy that the Spartans exhibited last night makes me wonder if the death of Tom Izzo's father has effected them. Even Tom Izzo didn't seem to have the same amount of fire that he usually displays. It's natural and expected that Tom would be in mourning right now, and maybe a bit distracted. This could rub off on the players. I don't know this to be fact, but just speculation. In any case, the team should come out with considerably more focus against Minnesota and I'd be surprised if they lost that game.

It looks like Valentine may be able to return for the Big Ten home opener against Illinois, If the Spartans can beat Minnesota and make win two of the three games they play sans Valentine, that is about a good as it could get,

Now on to football:

I'm tired of the hype, I'm tired of listening to all the opinions and punditry, all of the fan trash talk, just bring on the game.

By this point, I'm sure everyone has read or heard the "keys to the game" ad infinitum. Essentially, for Michigan State, it boils down to whether the Spartans can contain--though not necessarily stop--Derrick Henry. (It's not realistic to expect the Spartans to stop the Heisman Trophy winner dead in this tracks for 60 minutes). It's true that a pro-style offense like Alabama's is the best case scenario for MSU's defense. They tend to be much more successful against those type of offenses than the spread, read-option, "throw it all over the field" attacks.

On the offensive side of the ball, will the Spartans be able to run effectively enough to allow Connor Cook and the passing game to be successful? If the Spartans can rush for over 100 yards in the game and at least keep Alabama honest, then that should make Cook's job at least a little easier.

So what would a national championship in football mean to Michigan State? It would be such an incredible achievement that I'm trying hard not to fixate on it. I don't want to be overly disappointed if it doesn't happen.

A national championship for Alabama or Oklahoma would be...well, just another national championship. Business as usual. For Michigan State, it would be a game changer, and the most significant...and improbable...athletic achievement in the school's history. MSU hasn't won a national championship since 1966 (depending on which of the myriad football polls one takes into account),

I'd best not obsess over the possibility of a national championship. There's plenty of time to hash over the ramifications for MSU if and when it happens.

Life (temporarily) without Valentine

My jaw just about hit the floor yesterday when I read that Denzel Valentine will be out for at least two weeks.

At least this happened in December and not in February or March.

Valentine's absence makes tonight's game against Oakland, which was already a difficult game, even more daunting. The Golden Grizzlies will be playing close to their home in Rochester Hills (the game is at the Palace) and will be completely jacked for this game. Oakland is also a damned good basketball team.

There's a real possibility that Michigan State's first basketball loss of the season comes tonight against Oakland.

It'll be interesting to see how MSU responds with Denzel out of the lineup. If MSU does find a way to win tonight, I suspect it'll be an extremely close game: certainly less than ten points and probably less than five.

Spartans beat Louisville, and I was there!

I had the good fortune and immense pleasure of attending last night's tremendously exciting MSU basketball victory over Louisville. It was the most electric atmosphere I've seen at Breslin since the Spartans' 75-52 in over Michigan on February 13, 2013. The crowd was fully engaged. Part of that has to do with the terrific start this team has had, but another part I'm sure has to do with what a tremendous mood the football team has created. In fact, some of the loudest applause of the night occurred when Connor Cook was shown on camera (he was in attendance) and when highlights clips were played on the scoreboard of Jalen Watts-Jackson's game-winning fumble return against Michigan and Michael Geiger's field goal that beat Ohio State.


The Lousville Cardinals are much better than their #24 ranking. They have tremendous quickness and length. (By the way, is "length" the most overused and annoying basketball term? Let's just say Louisville's players are "frickin' tall"). Like the best Rick Pitino teams, they play a suffocating zone defense and an equally lethal press. If this team doesn't at least make the Sweet Sixteen this season, I'd be surprised. Look for them to cause some havoc in the ACC.

I've given up trying to think of more superlatives to describe the play of Denzel Valentine. The young man has been incredible this season, and made six crucial free throws in the final minutes of the game to seal the win. He makes everyone around him better, and he and Byrn Forbes make the best tandem we may have seen around here since Earvin Johnson and Gregory Kelser. Is that a stretch to say that? I have been know for hyperbole, but I have to say that Valentine and Forbes have an almost telepathic communication that I've not seen since those guys. (Well, come to think of it, Mateen Cleaves and Morris Peterson seemed to be able to communicate telepathically, as well).


Who, prior to this game, would have ever guessed that Kenny Goins would play 18 minutes and have 13 rebounds? On a night when Matt Costello and Javon Bess struggled, Goins stepped up big to battle Louisville's big men.

Thoroughly excited after the game, I stayed up to watch some of the late Big Ten/ACC Challenge games. Duke was on its way to blowing out Indiana, so I changed the channel to Illinois and Notre Dame, but it was quite clear that Notre Dame was about to win. Finally, I settled on the exciting finish of the Iowa/Florida State game. I surprised myself at how much I wanted the Big Ten to win this challenge, and was quite loudly and vocally rooting for the Hawkeyes and succeeded in keeping certain members of my family awake.

Denzel's November valentine

In my previous basketball post, I neglected to mention Denzel Valentine, and maybe that's because in the Florida Atlantic game, he played exactly as I thought he should: very good. In fact, his quiet efficiency in that game (13 points, 8 rebounds, 9 assists) made him easy to overlook.

After Valentine's brilliance in last night's 79-73 win over Kansas (which I am almost ashamed to say I couldn't stay up to watch--but I'm a workin' man), I feel bad that I didn't mention him in that FAU overview post.

Here's some trivia for you: Only two players have ever recorded triple-doubles against Kansas in the ENTIRE history of Jayhawks basketball, and both of those players are Michigan State Spartans. The first was Earvin "Magic" Johnson and the other is Denzel Valentine.

I don't want to overvalue last night's win, because it's still early in the season and a lot can happen between November and March, but it's fair to say that this team's ceiling could be a bit higher than even I thought before the season started.

Headed out to Breslin tonight

I'm heading over to Breslin tonight to see the Spartan basketball team for the first time this season, and I'm looking forward to checking out what should be an exciting team--and I'm finally getting excited about basketball season. Players on the 2015-16 MSU team who particularly intrigue me are as follows: Bryn Forbes (who has reportedly rebuilt his body--much bigger and more muscular--and worked on his defense), Denzel Valentine (it's HIS team now), Dayonta Davis (sounds like a tremendous athlete), Matt McQuaid (I hear he can shoot the lights out), Eron Harris (another great scorer), TumTum Nairn (one of my favorite current players), and Matt Costello (I think he's poised for a breakout season). I may be forgetting some players, but those are the ones to come to mind off the top of my head.

After the Nebraska football mishap, I have avoided most talk about college football and a lot of sports talk radio (with the exception of Jack Ebling's 3-6 PM radio show on WQTX). I think I've finally recovered from the disappointment and am hoping that the Spartans can bounce back tomorrow against Maryland. This is just the type of opponent that MSU could and should be able to exert its will and push around. However, I've been waiting for that to happen all season and it has yet to transpire, so like most of MSU's games this year, it'll probably be a death struggle until the fourth quarter.

Well, it's 5:48 PM and I need to get ready to head out the door. I'll wrap up this brief post and try to get back on here after the game and recap what I saw at the Brez.

"These guys enjoy being around each other"...(and it shows)

Did anyone, outside of Tom Izzo and the Spartan players, think that Michigan State basketball had a realistic shot at the Sweet Sixteen this season?

In a game that was frequently hard on the eyes--due to the sludgy, barroom brawl-with-a-basketball style of hoops implemented by Virginia coach Tony Bennett--the Spartans beat the Cavaliers at their own game--due to Tom Izzo shaking up MSU's defensive scheme in the one day turnaround between the Georgia game and the Virginia game. It was the best defensive performance I've seen from Michigan State all season. Travis Trice provided a big offensive spark early on, Branden Dawson displayed his prodigious athleticism and did the little things that aren't reflected in the stat sheet, and the Spartans basically out-muscled Virginia 60-54.

It's high time I sang the praises of this team. They're certainly not the most talented team MSU has ever had, and heaven knows they are the worst free throw shooting team in Tom Izzo's tenure, but as the coach said in his post-game press conference, "These guys enjoy being around each other." That is a key component to their success this season.

I liked Travis Trice as a player as soon as I saw him as a freshman. He simply had the look of a kid who would develop into a great leader. To borrow from sports cliches, a "glue guy," a "program player." In other words, a player who is not gifted with the greatest athletic ability in the world, but has court vision, a knowledge of the game, leadership, and a strong work ethic. But in this last month or so, Trice has even exceeded what I saw as his potential. He has a great step-back jump shot and has developed an ability to drive the lane, lay up beautiful floaters or elevate high for a slam dunk, Trice has been a fun player to watch his entire four years in East Lansing.

There has never been a question about Branden Dawson's athletic ability. He is able to do things on the court that are awe-inspiring. The problem has been inconsistency: there have been times Dawson has played like the best player on the floor and others where he has disappeared. But Dawson has elevated his game recently and is playing with an urgency of someone who knows his college career is almost over and doesn't want it to end. I like Dawson about as much as I like Trice, and hope that he can at least have a good career for himself overseas, playing in Europe or elsewhere. Perhaps, with enough work, he can develop into a legitimate NBA small forward. He certainly has the rebounding ability. I don't know the last time I saw a player his size dominate the glass--and Dawson is also the best "glass cleaner" or "trash man" I've ever seen in a Michigan State uniform. I can't count the number of times I've seen Dawson seemingly arrive out of nowhere to put back a missed shot. He's a master at that.

Denzel Valentine has the ability to amaze and aggravate like few players I've seen. One minute, he can make a brilliant pass the likes of which Magic Johnson might envy, and the next moment make a mistake that has you either pounding your head against a wall or cursing your television. But that's what you get with Denzel. He's a little reckless and extremely fearless, much like Connor Cook on the MSU football team. Like Cook, he doesn't allow mistakes get him down, and this is one element that makes him an outstanding basketball player.

The rest of the team has grown over the season, and all the players know their roles. Nobody on this team seems to have an ego. Matt Costello does the dirty work in the paint, Lourawls Nairn brings energy and toughness, Marvin Clark has overcome a rocky start to his freshman year and now plays solid defense and hits the occasional shot, Alvin Ellis has made huge strides in just the last few weeks, Bryn Forbes can provide instant offense, at least when he makes his shots (and he's been making many more of them lately) and is much better on defense now than he was earlier in the season. Though Gavin Schilling has had a rocky season, and draws fouls at an Aloysius Anagonye-esque rate, he has tremendous upside (and next to Dawson is probably the most ripped guy on the team). Schilling is another player with a high ceiling.

Anyone who is a Michigan State basketball fan has to be extremely proud of how far this team has come this season, and any more victories they obtain from this point forward is gravy. Maybe, just maybe, this team will end up being the Final Four team we expected to see last season. If so, it will be one of the most memorable seasons in Spartan hoops history.

Denzel delivers a Valentine

After two post-game celebratory Bell's Two-hearteds along with a Big Ten Burger at Harrison Roadhouse, I'm now relaxing at home and basking in the afterglow of MSU's big win over Ohio State.

 

The second half was a bit rockier than the first half, but at least part of that was due to the officiating crew calling the game much closer than they had in the first half. This lent a lack of flow to the second half.

 

Still, it's hard to complain. MSU made enough plays, and with 3.2 seconds left Denzel Valentine hit perhaps the biggest shot of his college career--and maybe the most important shot of this MSU season-- to lead the Spartans to a much needed victory.

 

Who are we kidding? This was more than a "much needed victory." It may be the difference between MSU playing in the NCAA tournament or the NIT. A loss would have meant a third conference home defeat, and a major downer heading to Ann Arbor to take on Michigan. But instead it was a win over a top-25 opponent and a major bolster to a shaky tournament resume.

 

The best part was, I was there in person along with my son and brother-in-law. Section 218, row 15. Almost nosebleed, the first row of metal bleachers. The folks who trudged, slipped, and slid their way through the blustery bitterly cold Valentine's Day weather? They were energized and excited, as if they were hell-bent to make their perilous treks to Breslin worthwhile. I hope that the Spartan basketball team noticed and fed off that electricity.

Still some life left with MSU basketball

I've been wrapped up in non-sports aspects of life for the last week, so haven't been quite as tuned into Michigan State basketball as usual.

I'm happy that the Spartans have bounced back after the heartbreaking loss against Maryland and have proven, once again, that the college basketball season is a process. Teams gel and evolve over the course of a season and it makes no sense for fans or the media to declare the sky is falling after a few early losses. Now, this is not to say that the Spartans will suddenly embark on an unstoppable roll and sweep their way to a Big Ten title. There will probably still be bumps and bruises along the way, but the team is healthier now than they were against Texas Southern and Maryland and the players all appear to be understanding their roles. Though it's not outside the realm of possibility, I don't see a conference title for the Spartans this season but a finish in the upper half of the Big Ten is extremely probable.

Travis Trice was on fire last night against Iowa. The guy was completely unconscious, particularly in the second half where it looked like he could have shot the ball behind his back and hit nothing but net. He had a shooting game that wasn't too far removed from the nights Scott Skiles and Shawn Respert had in their days. But it isn't just great shooting with Trice, he makes loads of hustle plays that don't make the stat sheet, like sprinting down the court and coming out of nowhere to contest what at first appears to be an easy layup for the opponent.

Denzel Valentine and Matt Costello both played among their best games of the seasons, and as challenged as Branden Dawson sometimes appears when it comes to getting the ball in the whole, few players in the game play defense or rebound as well as Dawson.

This is not a great Tom Izzo team right now, but it has the potential to do some special things this season. We as fans just need to have the patience to bear with the occasional detours on the way to a possibly splendid year.

A salute to MSU cross country, and the Santa Clara basketball game

Allow me to lead of this post by congratulating the MSU women's cross country team, who won the national championship on Saturday.  When the result was announced at the football game, it elicited loud applause from the freezing denizens at Spartan Stadium. Last night, the women's cross country team was at the Santa Clara basketball game and, during a timeout, took center court with their national championship trophy to accept more applause. It's richly deserved.

I don't pay enough attention in this blog to non-revenue sports, and I'm ashamed to say that outside of an occasional MSU baseball game (if that qualifies as a non-revenue collegiate sport) I don't attend nearly enough of them in person. When one of the teams does exceptionally well, they deserve to be acknowledged.

I was lucky enough to be able to attend a second consecutive Spartan basketball game, compliments of my awesome brother-in-law.  Here are some brief observations, that I will attempt to flesh out later:

Before the game, we saw Gregory Kelser on the sideline, who was presumably there to broadcast the game for BTN. Impeccably dressed in a suit as always, Kelser walked from around the basketball floor to give a hug to his old coach, Gus Ganakas (broadcasting the game for radio). It was a warm, private moment shared between an old mentor and his pupil, who I'm sure are good friends now. It was a private moment in as much as a moment can be when in at takes place in a sports arena with 10,000+ people in attendance--but I doubt how many people were paying attention.

Earvin "Magic" Johnson was also at the game and was introduced in the first half. He waved to and acknowledged the crowd on the center court "jumbotron" scoreboard, as he was seated in a private box. Magic must be in town for the Thanksgiving holiday. So we had Special K and Magic in Breslin at the same time.

As far as the game goes:

Gavin Schilling was great and played perhaps his best game ever.

Free throw shooting must improve or it might cost them some games.

Denzel Valentine is making better decisions and had a double-double.

Marvin Clark can shoot the lights out. This will be one fun player to watch over the next few years.

Travis Trice can also shoot the lights out.

I love the energy that Tum-Tum Nairn brings to the game, and he will also be a fun player to watch over the next few years.

The Spartans played a very good game without the services of Branden Dawson, who was sick with the flu.

The defensive intensity was better than it was in the Loyola game, and this seems to be an area of improvement for the team.

I love the teamwork I've seen on display and how well the team works to find the open man. They all seem to like each other and communicate well, which bodes well for the future.

I still contend that this team could surprise some people this season.

Michigan State 87, Loyola 52

I had the good fortune to attend last night's MSU basketball game win over the Loyola Ramblers.

In any of these non-conference blowout victories featuring mid-major and/or bottom feeder opponents, it's hard to tell whether it's the Spartans looking very good or the opponent looking very bad. Presumably, it's a little bit of both.

 

The Spartans deserve credit for coming out with energy and enthusiasm in their first game after the Duke loss. They jumped all over the Ramblers and held them to one bucket over the first eight minutes and 53 seconds of the game. The game was over, for all intents and purposes, after about the 10-minute mark of the first half.

 

I was impressed with the outside shooting of Marvin Clark, Jr., and the speed, ball-handling skills, and overall fearlessness of Lourawls "Tum Tum" Nairn, Jr. Travis Trice and Branden Dawson had excellent games. Matt Costello looked much better than he did against Duke, but still has a tendency to be a bit tentative. Denzel Valentine makes some remarkable passes and can look absolutely dazzling, but then have some puzzling mental lapses.

 

This team is a work-in-progress, and I still contend may surprise some people this year. It should be one of those years where we, as fans, need to keep our expectations modest and realistic and simply enjoy the ride.

Michigan State 67, Northwestern 51

Yes, it was only Northwestern, but it was a win for the Spartans and there were encouraging signs going forward.

The defensive intensity was there, particularly in the first half. I can't remember the last time I saw MSU play defense with such tenacity.

Branden Dawson looked great: dominating the boards with ferocity and "cleaning up the garbage" under the basket.

Denzel Valentine also had a fantastic game, and provided an ESPN highlight clip with his behind-the-back no-look pass to a trailing Matt Costello for a slam.

The question now is can MSU follow up this game with another excellent game. This has become all too familiar: MSU plays great against a weaker opponent only to follow up with a lackluster performance against a stronger foe. Today, the Spartans will be facing Wisconsin, a team that is playing better than anyone else in the Big Ten. It remains to be seen whether MSU can string together two consecutive outstanding performances.

Certainly Payne-less, and a little painful (at least until overtime)

I can hear my (imaginary?) readers groaning after I use yet another Payneful pun. I promise that'll be the last time I torture you with one of those.

 

For most of today's MSU basketball game against Minnesota, it looked like it would follow the familiar Breslin Center script we've come to expect against ANY opponent: the Gophers play lights-out in the first half and take a lead into halftime. Then in the second half, Michigan State makes adjustments, the Gophers run out of steam and the Spartans pull out a win.

 

For most of the game, it appeared there'd be no deviation from the usual scenario, despite the fact that Richard Pitino's pressing, zone-playing team was causing problems for the Spartans. Still, by the waning moments of the second half, MSU seemed in control of the game. However, a funny thing happened on the way to the "inevitable win": Gary Harris missed two free throws, and the Gophers raced down court for the game-tying lay up. Ugh, another overtime game. As a fan, I felt emotionally and physically drained after the first 40 minutes of play, how could I bounce back for "bonus basketball." (Just imagine how the players felt?).

 

In overtime, though, it was ALL MSU. Instead of getting down on themselves for not finishing the job in regulation, the Spartans dominated the Gophers. I give this team this much: they are one resilient and unflappable bunch.

 

Denzel Valentine bounced back from his brutal performance against OSU and made some crucial plays down the stretch. Kenny Kaminski was also outstanding, and reminds me of Kirk Manns the way he strokes that outside shot. Keith Appling and Gary Harris were their usual smooth selves.

 

But how much longer can the Spartans get by without Adreian Payne? They should be able to survive a truly dreadful Northwestern team*, but after that, life without Payne could get tricky. Here's hoping he is healthy enough to play by the time the Spartans take on Illinois on January 18.

*The day after I posted this, Northwestern stunned Illinois, 49-43 for the Wildcats's first conference win of the season. Perhaps I spoke to soon when I dismissed them as "truly dreadful." Still, this is a game that MSU should win.