A post-Final Four dispatch

Like all Michigan State fans, I was disappointed with the Spartans' loss to Duke last Saturday evening. But given the fact I was watching the game from beautiful and exciting downtown Toronto, it was difficult to remain despondent for long.

 

This was perhaps the most surprising and improbable Final Four runs of Tom Izzo's storied career. Though I took issue with the officiating in the Duke game because it seems the Blue Devils always get calls in their favor, I don't know if a more fairly called game would have made any difference. MSU simply came up against a more talented team.

 

It's tough to lose to Duke, and it always seems to be like going up against an immovable, impenetrable force anytime MSU plays them. The cold hard fact of the matter is Duke generally has a more talented team than MSU, and even when the teams are close to even it's inevitable that Duke will get almost every call in its favor. I hate to be one of those fans who complains about officiating, but I don't know how anyone (besides Duke supporters) can watch Duke play anyone and not conclude that they receive preferential treatment. Not only did they get plenty of calls in their favor against MSU, but they certainly did in the championship game against Wisconsin.

 

Oh well, at least Wisconsin slew that other evil empire, the Kentucky Wildcats. Kentucky winning the national title and finishing 40-0 is the only scenario more noxious than Duke winning it all.

Every point Jahlil Okafor scored felt like a punch in the gut

...or so it seemed to me last night watching Coach K and Duke beat Michigan State yet again.

It made me want to cry seeing how damned good Okafor is, and how much MSU could have used him in a season in which they--at least for now--have no low post players.

 

I'm sure Tom Izzo felt about the same.

 

There has been lots of hand-wringing on the Red Cedar Message Board about MSU's defeats on the recruiting trail, and how all the good players are going to Duke, North Carolina, and Kentucky. Well, hasn't that pretty much always been the case for years now?

 

The harsh reality is that Michigan State is not a blue blood program and may never be. Heaven knows Izzo has done everything he can to get blue chippers to MSU, and has sometimes succeeded, but it will always be difficult going up against the likes of basketball aristocracy.

 

I didn't expect the Spartans to win, so I approached the game as calmly as I ever do with MSU sports. Since Dick Vitale was the color commentator and I assumed he'd be slobbering all over Duke, I turned the TV volume all the way down.

 

I was pleased with MSU's effort, but the team is undermanned and has a long way to go, though their ceiling seems high and the team should be much better in March than it is now. (Isn't that the case with every Izzo team?). Travis Trice had another good game, and Branden Dawson was much better than he was against Navy. Bryn Forbes started and played 30 minutes and displayed that smooth shooting stroke that had been advertised.

 

The main issues for this team are lack of size and nobody who is a threat as a low post player. Matt Costello will need to step up his game.

Some post-Big Ten tournament thoughts and observations

Only a week ago the sky was falling, now MSU are critical darlings. Sports Illustrated chose MSU to appear on one of their six regional tournament special issues. Even the President of the United States has the Spartans winning the national title. Being a naturally neurotic Spartan fan, all this adoration has me worried. I suppose as long as the MSU team views all this attention as flattering and nothing more, and remains focused on the task at hand, they will be fine.

 

Maybe the team will actually view the NCAA tournament as relief. After all, they were ranked number one early in the season, lost to North Carolina, fell from that lofty perch, then endured all of the injuries and frustrations of the Big Ten season. The team is finally healthy and ended the Big Ten season on a bright note, not only able to play (and win) three games with all the pieces back in place, but get a little payback against Wisconsin and Michigan, and win a tournament title in the process. Now, this is not to suggest that all the Spartans' problems are completely solved (though, who knows, maybe they are), but I'd much rather have MSU enter the NCAA tournament on this note than having bowed out early in the Big Ten tournament.

I've never been a big fan of the Big Ten tournament, but it is certainly sweet when "your" team wins. The post-season college basketball conference tournaments are akin to extra credit in school. If you're a student who has, for whatever reason, not done well during the school term, your teacher will give you the opportunity to elevate your grade with extra credit. The conference tournaments give the average or under-achieving teams an opportunity to "raise their grades." The top teams generally have little to gain from the tournaments, so it's not surprising when they bow out early.

 

Now a little more about the Big Ten tournament championship game against Michigan, a subject I still have yet to tire of discussing, though by tomorrow it'll officially be old news and time to move on.
 

In my pre-game post, I wrote that I would need some "happy drugs" to get me through it. As far as mind and /or pain-dulling "drugs," there really wasn't much need for anything. I consumed a grandé iced Americano in the first half and was pretty well hopped up on caffeine by that point. In the second half, I sucked down three beers and reverted back to my bachelor days for awhile, as I watched the game while pacing around the living room.

By the way, I didn't scratch my schadenfreude itch by listening to WTKA on Monday morning. By the time I tuned into the station, the show hosts had fallen into their default position in times of distress:a football recruiting discussion.

 

Some big plays I noticed while watching the replay of the MSU/Michigan game:

 

In the first half, Travis Trice had a terrific drive, splitting two defenders to the basket, tossing up an acrobatic underhand layup when the shot clock was winding down. That was an important play at another point in the game where it appeared the Wolverines were poised to make a move. The steady emergence of Travis Trice could and should be big for this team in the NCAA tournament, as great guard play is almost always a key to success this time of year.

 

Gary Harris dribble drive to the basket for the slam with only a few seconds left on the clock near the end of the first half. This kept momentum with MSU at a point in the game when it looked like Michigan was perhaps one three-pointer away from closing the gap to four points, and feeling good about themselves heading into the locker room.

 

The Spartans jumped all over Michigan as soon as the second half started and immediately seized control, not allowing Michigan an opportunity to get back in the game.

 

It's safe to say everyone knew the game was probably a Michigan State win after Branden Dawson's windmill dunk at the 16:57 mark of the second half. One could almost feel and hear the energy drain from Michigan after that play.

 

There is a danger in celebrating too much or too hard after defeating ones arch rival in basketball. I learned the hard way last year after MSU's 75-52 win in East Lansing. This win over Michigan is more of a "we're still here" statement rather than a "reestablishment of the natural order" win that some MSU fans seem to think of it. As long as Beilein is in Ann Arbor, Michigan basketball will remain strong.

 

I see no reason why both programs can't be strong at the same time, there are certainly enough good basketball players in the Midwest to spread the wealth evenly. Folks around here seem to think that if one program elevates, then the other program automatically must go down. I know that's not the way people see things in North Carolina with the UNC Tar Heels and Duke Blue Devils. A few years ago, UNC had a string of six-consecutive wins over Duke. I didn't hear a single commentator or fan say that Mike Krzyzewski had "lost it" the same way I heard people in these parts declare that Izzo was on the way down after Michigan won six of the last eight in the MSU/UM series.

 

Perhaps part of this is due the fact that we in Michigan aren't used to having two strong basketball programs at the same time. We automatically assume that if one is up, the other needs to be down. In North Carolina, it's a given that both Duke and UNC will be strong every year, and even NC State is never counted out. The state of North Carolina is accustomed to having multiple strong programs within its borders year-in and year-out.

 

For the foreseeable future, the Michigan State Spartans and Michigan Wolverines will take turns delivering body blows in this rivalry. Now, as you all know I don't root for the Maize and Blue in anything, but even I must grudgingly admit that having two nationally prominent basketball programs in the Great Lakes State is a nifty situation.

It's time to put the regular season to bed, get ready for most important part of the college basketball calendar--March Madness. I hope that the Spartans can overcome all the national love and affection they have been receiving for the last four days.

 

MSU vs. Duke, my ill will towards Michigan, and the 1927 MSC yearbook

It's 8:00 and I'm on the computer drinking a glass of wine, trying to decide if I want to watch the Michigan/Kansas game currently playing.

If you haven't already deduced from this blog and my previous posts, I want Michigan to lose. If Michigan loses to Kansas, I can watch the MSU/Duke game with at least the relief of knowing the Wolverines will not advance further in the tournament than the Spartans. Is that petty of me? Perhaps. But it's also indicative of the Michigan/MSU rivalry and my antipathy towards the University of Michigan. I just can't bear the thought of Michigan playing on in the tournament while the Spartans go home.

***

I've been going back and forth about the Duke game. It will be tough, and should be a close game either way. This is not a unique analysis, but MSU must cut down on the turnovers because Duke will take advantage of that. Duke rarely makes many mistakes and will not beat themselves. The Spartans can't make the game easier for the Blue Devils by making too many unforced errors.

The Spartans also must play smarter in the late stages of the game. Mental errors late in the second half against Indiana (at Breslin), Michigan (at Crisler), and Ohio State (in the Big Ten tournament) cost MSU the chance to win those games. They can't afford to do the same against Duke.

As Jack Ebling pointed out this week on his afternoon radio show, officiating will also play a big role in this game. If the officials let the players play, then MSU should be fine. But if physical play is punished, then the Spartans could be in trouble. It scares me to think of Derrick Nix picking up a couple fouls in the first few minutes of the game.

Did I mention I'd really like the Spartans to beat the heck out of Duke tonight. As if there was any doubt, I thought perhaps I should make it official.

***

Checking the ESPN web site, I see Kansas has a six point lead over Michigan at halftime. Rock chalk Jayhawk! Keep it up, fellas!

***

In non-sports--but still MSU-related--news: Today, I bought the 1927 Michigan State College yearbook     (ironically named The Wolverine). I had originally found it way back in September at a used book sale at my place of employment (a library) and have had it on hold ever since. The price was $40, and though that doesn't sound like much, I'm one who constantly frets about spending too much money on non-essential items. Finally, the guilt over keeping this item on hold for so long got the best of me, and I decided to purchase it. (As it turned out, the book sale manager--probably relieved that I was finally buying the book, knocked off another $10 from the price).

I'm happy I finally purchased this yearbook. It's quite a fascinating window into collegiate culture at the still-remote and provincial MSC in the 1920s. The genders were highly segregated, with the scientific and agricultural clubs strictly male and the women relegated to the human ecology club and other more "feminine" organizations.

1927 also saw the construction of a few MSU and East Lansing landmarks. Kedzie Hall (what is now North Kedzie) neared completion, and the People's Church on Grand River Avenue had been finished the previous year. The Wolverine also proudly trumpets of the soon-to-be-built Demonstration Hall.

I hope that once the MSU sports season is over I will take some time to write a more detailed blog post about this historical curio.

Sweet Sixteen bound

Well don't I look silly worrying about a Valpo upset. Michigan State dispatched the Crusaders without any trouble and then, despite a whopping 18 turnovers, thoroughly dismantled Memphis in one of the best defensive performances the Spartans have had all season.

I want to write more in here: about CBS' coverage, the Cinderella victories of Florida Gulf Coast and LaSalle, the blown calls in some of these games, and MSU's next opponent--the hated Duke Blue Devils. If I can make it to a computer, and have some time, I'll write more soon.

***

Amazingly, I found a moment when a computer was free here at home and I'm back.

Do I really hate Duke? I have tremendous respect for Coach K and his program. Maybe it's not so much Duke I hate as the constant adulation the program receives, but when you get down to it, the ubiquitous media fawning is deserved. Before Coach K arrived in Durham in 1980, Duke had a good--if not great--program. Krzyzewski elevated the program to heights it had never seen before, much as Tom Izzo has done at Michigan State.

Duke has presented the one obstacle that MSU's program has had difficulty crossing. In seven head-to-head match ups, Izzo's Spartans have only won once (2005 Sweet Sixteen featuring Mo Ager's oft-YouTubed in-your-face-disgrace dunk on J.J. Reddick). Most of the games between Duke and MSU have been close, with the only blowout I can remember coming in the 2003-2004 season when the Blue Devils hammered the Spartans at Breslin Center. (For what it's worth, that game has to rank as one of the most disappointing home games in MSU history, and a game that--in my opinion--haunted that MSU team all season).

Then there's the Jabari Parker situation. In a hotly contested recruiting battle, Jabari Parker chose Duke over Michigan State. That Duke brand is still a tough one to beat, and I know many MSU fans would like nothing more than to beat Duke as vengeance for losing the battle for Parker.

Duke is the gold standard of college basketball, and Coach K is arguably the greatest college basketball coach of all time. Yes, I know many would argue in favor of John Wooden, and a valid argument can be made for the Wizard of Westwood, but college basketball wasn't nearly as competitive in Wooden's era as it has been in Coach K's tenure. What Krzyzewski has done at Duke over the last 33 years is more impressive in an era in which there are so many more good programs and great coaches.

It'd be an outstanding accomplishment, and another feather in Tom Izzo's already well-decorated cap, to beat Duke this year and move on to the Elite Eight.

The Courtship of Jabari Parker

Today's the day.

The day when a 17 year-old basketball player from Simeon High School in Chicago finally announces where he intends on playing his college ball.

I don't generally follow recruiting that closely, but this one has been unavoidable. The wooing of this youngster really places the spotlight on how crazy recruiting has become, and the incredible and costly lengths that coaches will go to in order to sign a prospect.

Within the last week, Tom Izzo has flown to Texas and Chicago to be near Jabari Parker, taking time away from his team to remind this kid, "We really want you and are extremely interested in you." Mike Krzyzewski has done essentially the same. How much money does this cost Michigan State and Duke, and all for a player who may not even sign for either school?  It's madness, but what else is new? College sports in general has become madness. Yet I, and many others, continue to support it with enthusiasm, further encouraging the "arms race" between competing colleges and universities.

Stay tuned. At 4:00 or so when Jabari Parker makes his announcement. Only one school and fanbase will be happy, while several others will be sad, having spent many hours, days, and money only to come up empty-handed.

Having written all of that, I will be absolutely elated if Jabari Parker chooses MSU.

Postscript: Jabari Parker chose Duke, and has had an outstanding freshman season for the Blue Devils. Cue "sad face."

A crazy day in the tournament

First off, so much for that LIU preview.  Life and work got in the way, plus the fact that my two kids seem to always be on our computers, so I wasn't able to get online. Not that it matters, if you really wanted a preview you should read Joe Rexrode in the Lansing State Journal or any number of other professional sportswriters who really know what they're talking about.

Could yesterday have possibly been more perfect from an MSU Spartan fans' point-of-view?  The afternoon really reached high drama early when the official "sexy" Final Four pick, Missouri, went down at the hands of Norfolk State.  I watched almost the entire second half of that game, and I was scratching my head wondering why Missouri was so highly lauded.  Not only did they play poorly, but they played stupidly.  I just don't understand teams that jack up three-point attempts early in the shot clock and have so many wasted possessions. Missouri is a quick team and did a good time of kicking the ball out to their wings, but otherwise I was not impressed with the way they approached the second half of that game.

Later on in the evening, Michigan lost to the real "Ohio", Ohio University--and within moments of Michigan's loss, Duke was defeated by (underrated) Lehigh.  Two of my most hated schools go down in flames within a half-hour of each other, I don't think life could possibly get sweeter from my perspective as a sports fan.

Finally, at 9:30, I poured myself a glass of the (highly unmanly) moscato, parked myself immediately in front of the television, and dug in for the MSU/LIU game.  As expected, the experienced Blackbirds gave the Spartans a battle and did a great job of hanging with the Spartans for the first half, and the initial couple minutes of the second half, but MSU's defense stiffened in the second half--and LIU had absolutely no answer for MSU's big men, Nix and Payne (and I'll throw in Draymond Green, as well).  According to their roster, LIU doesn't have a player taller than 6' 7", and MSU has six players taller than 6' 7".  MSU took advantage of that mismatch and it seemed that LIU just gave up trying to defend the paint as the game progressed.

I have two brackets going: one for what I think will happen, and one for what I hope will happen. I went 25-7 in my "intelligent/analytical" bracket and 28-4 in my "emotional" bracket.  Isn't that the way it always goes?

Next up for MSU: Rick Majerus and the St. Louis Billikens.  The Billikens are a bigger team than LIU and play a much slower style.  They sound similar to Wisconsin.  It should be an interesting tussle between MSU's big men and those from St. Louis.

The Duke post mortem

Just a quick note about last night's game:

The rat got his cheese last night, and took it away from our Spartans.  Coach K is now the all-time winningest coach in college basketball history.  (Okay, I don't really think Mike Krzyzewski is a rat--I have grudging respect for him-- but do think this photo is hilarious.  I am not a Duke fan and view them as the New York Yankees of college hoops--the team you love to hate).

The Spartans played quite well in the first half, and were only down by one at the intermission.  Unfortunately, the team's youth showed through in the second half and they struggled mightily until making a run late in the game.  I love what I saw from Travis Trice, and was encouraged with the way Keith Appling almost single-handedly got MSU back in the game in the last six minutes.  Was not thrilled by Derrick Nix's brutal game.

In any case, since I didn't expect MSU to win the game, I was able to (for the most part) calmly watch the game without getting too emotional.

This team is still raw, but they should continue to improve and may still surprise some people.

Coach K's Coronation night...but not if the Spartans have anything to do with it

I am fully prepared for a Coach K lovefest tonight from the Four Letter Network, with Michigan State treated merely as a minor obstacle in Coach K's coronation as the all-time winningest coach in college basketball history.  I'm just thankful that Dick Vitale isn't the color guy tonight, because the butt kissing would be completely unbearable.  Even with Bob Knight doing the color commentary, I am fully prepared to mute the television.

I expect ESPN to treat tonight's game as if it was a Harlem Globetrotters/Washington Generals game, with MSU receiving slightly more attention than the Generals get when they play the Trotters.

Call me crazy, or just a hopeless homer, but I have a good feeling the Spartans will bring it strong tonight.  It wouldn't shock me if MSU pulled the upset.

Now a little about football.  In my previous post, I wrote that MSU fans were in the awkward position of "rooting for Michigan" this weekend.  Who am I kidding?  I know that virtually no MSU fan in his or her right mind will be rooting for Michigan, even if it does help the Spartans.  The way I see it, regardless of whether Michigan beats Nebraska, it's a win for MSU (provided the Spartans hold their end of the bargain and polish off Indiana).  If Michigan loses, well, Spartan Nation always rejoices in Michigan's demise--so it's merely business as usual.  If Michigan wins (and MSU also wins, of course) then the Legends Division title is ours.  I certainly won't be actively pulling for Michigan, but will merely be indifferent regarding the outcome of their game.