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 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?

Basketball in the midst of international tragedy

I don't really want to write about politics in here, but in this case it's really unavoidable.

Yesterday, as everyone knows all too well at this point, Paris, France was devastated by horrific terrorist attacks. The news hit shortly before I headed out to Breslin Center to watch the Spartans open up their basketball season against Florida Atlantic.

I don't know if "cognitive dissonance" is the proper term to describe my feeling at enjoying the trivial pleasure of watching a college basketball game while, across the ocean, one of the world's great metropolises was in the midst of horror. The game suddenly seemed pretty inconsequential, and I found myself periodically checking my phone to catch updates of what was happening in France.

But as far as the game goes, it was enjoyable and a good distraction from what was happening in the "real world." Michigan State will have an exciting team this year, and there is no telling how far they could go. It's not out of the realm of possibility to suggest this could be another Final Four squad.

Here's my Facebook post that I wrote after returning home from the game: "...opening night of the 2015-16 season. Checking my phone at timeouts to find out what was happening in France. I'm enjoying a trivial distraction in Breslin while Paris is suffering through unspeakable horrors. The Spartans should have an exciting team. Newcomers Dayonta Davis and Matt McQuaid will become fan favorites. (In his first official game, Davis had the second highest single game blocked shot total in MSU history. He could be a star player). Matt Costello and TumTum Nairn are poised for breakout seasons. Denzel Valentine looks like he is ready to be the leader in his senior year. Thanks to my bro-in-law Michael for inviting me. Had some great post game beers and burger at Harrison Roadhouse." Lourawls Nairn, Deyonta Davis, and Matt Costello are the players who impressed me the most. Nairn continues to bring non-stop energy to the team and his defense reminds me of Travis Walton. To top it off, he's added a reasonably decent jump shot to his repertoire (though with Denzel Valentine, Bryn Forbes, and Eron Harris around, Nairn will not likely be asked to shoot much). Deyonta Davis is a freshman, but he certainly does not look like a freshman. He has length, size, and a feel for the game that belies his youth. He's also a shot-blocking machine. Davis will be a fun player to watch this season. Matt Costello came into his own late last season, and the way he played against FAU, there is every indication that he is picking up where he left off.

At this point, my only concern is that old bugaboo, free throw shooting. It was not good last night. Maybe this is just an aberration, and it will be better in future games; but based on what I saw last night, it may still be a problem.

But compared to the problems faced by the people of Paris, my concerns about MSU's free throw shooting are pretty damned inconsequential.