Spartan basketball, the career and legacy of Tom Izzo, and the Michigan game

It's been over a week since I posted in this blog, and in that time MSU basketball lost to an average Nebraska and blew out a horrible Rutgers. And now, quite unexpectedly, I have tickets for tomorrow's game against Michigan.

At this point, all that can really be said about the basketball team is this: the only part of them that is predictable about them is their unpredictability--and that they can't shoot free throws to save their lives.  However, there is a glimmer of hope that perhaps they're turning a corner. After a terrible first half against Nebraska, the team played much better in the second half and almost came away with a most improbable win. The schedule smiled upon them with the next game on the road against Rutgers, and the Spartans dominated throughout to take a 20-point win.

So, looking at tomorrow's game, the Spartans should win. It's at home, the Wolverines are depleted, and the Spartans should ride the momentum of a blowout win at Rutgers.

Branden Dawson played great against Rutgers and seems to be performing at a high level that he's always been capable of attaining. I've often thought that Dawson is one of the most frustrating players Izzo has ever had. He is an incredibly gifted athlete who has the capability of dominating a game--when he's into it. Too often, he seems either disinterested or just inconsistent. If "good" Dawson shows up tomorrow--which I fully expect in a game against MSU's arch rival--and the Spartans can shoot reasonably well from the perimeter and not awful from the free throw line, MSU should win this game by at least 8 or 9 points.

I don't want to dismiss Michigan, though. Despite the loss of Levert and Walton, Michigan continues to play just well enough to get it done. Any team that is able to take Wisconsin to overtime, while missing two of its most important players, must be taken very seriously.

***

Tom Izzo turned 60 years old yesterday. How did he (and I) get this old? In the same year that Izzo hits the big six-oh, we celebrate his 20th season as MSU head basketball coach. I hate to use the whole trite "where did the time go" cliché, but...WHERE THE HECK DID THE TIME GO?

When Izzo was named head coach, I'm sure I was not unlike most everyone else in wondering who he was. I don't think I was following the basketball team close enough at the time to notice him on the bench as one of Jud Heathcote's assistants. In fact, when I first heard his name, I thought that perhaps he was related to former MSU basketball player Mario Izzo. (One look at the 7-foot Mario Izzo and the 5' 9"-ish Tom Izzo would immediately dispel any notion that the two were related).

The first two years at MSU were tough for Tom Izzo. Jud hadn't left him with much talent and those first two teams struggled. Many, including yours truly, wondered if this Izzo guy was the right man for the job. At the time, I didn't fully realize that slowly but surely Tom Izzo was building a soon-to-be-dominant program at MSU. Key recruits like Antonio Smith and Mateen Cleaves were the foundation.

Izzo's third year was the breakthrough year, but even that season wasn't without its tribulations. The Spartans had a less than stellar non-conference slate including a loss to the University of Detroit that I remember well because my instant reaction was, "here we go again." Undoubtedly the first big win of Izzo's coaching career came in the Big Ten opener against the overwhelmingly favored Purdue, when the Spartans stunned the Boilermakers 74-57 at Mackey Arena. Unfortunately, I didn't actually see the game, but clearly remember seeing the headline in the Lansing State Journal the next day and being completely dumbstruck that the Spartans had won by such an overwhelming score. (As a side note, it's hard to imagine that there was once a time when one couldn't instantly learn who had won a game. I waited over 12 hours to discover MSU had beaten Purdue).

From that point forward, we have experienced the glory years of Spartan basketball. But I suppose even with all the incredible success Izzo has had--the 2000 national championship, the Big Ten championships, the Final Fours--that 1997-1998 team will always maintain a special place in my memory. I remember visiting the now-defunct College Store shortly after the season ended and buying a "1998 Big Ten champions" t-shirt and the 1997-1998 basketball media guide, all the while thinking how great it was that MSU had won the Big Ten title and to appreciate it NOW because it wasn't likely to happen again for at least another decade...little did I know what the future would have in store. Tom Izzo has taken the Michigan State basketball programs to heights I never thought were possible.

***

On Friday's Drive with Jack Ebling, Jack asked various guests to name their favorite MSU/UM basketball game. His UoM grad/fan/co-host Tom Crawford went with Michigan's 2011 win at Breslin (a game I'd like to forget ever happened). Jack's choice was the 1986 game at Jenison Fieldhouse, and I have a hard time arguing with that. The scrappy Spartans beat the eventual Big Ten champion Wolverines, 91-79. Re-reading some of Jack's piece about the game in his book Magic Moments: a Century of Spartan Basketball, I'm reminded of how much I disliked Antoine Joubert at the time and how thrilling it was that Skiles and company beat those guys that season--not just once, but TWICE. Despite Joubert guaranteeing a payback win at Crisler, the Spartans hammered the Wolverines even worse than they had at Jenison. The final score in Ann Arbor was 74-59. At the time, I was a senior at Caro High School in the thumb of Michigan and overrun by Michigan fans. I was able to hold my head high that season.

I suppose my favorite game in the series was the 2013 game at Breslin, a game I was lucky enough to attend in person. It was the first and only time that both teams entered the game both ranked in the national top ten and the Spartans blew out the Wolverines in a spirited performance.

Other memorable MSU/UM basketball games: 

1979 (MSU 80, Michigan 57; at Jenison). I was a 10 year-old kid at my grandma's house in Rosedale Park, Detroit and watched this game in her den/library. The Spartans avenged an earlier heartbreaking loss in Ann Arbor and completely blew out the Wolverines in the rematch. I haven't seen this game since the day it was played, but the memories I have involve MSU running fast break after fast break with Earvin "Magic" Johnson and Greg Kelser putting on a show. I don't know if my memories necessarily represent reality, but the warm glow from those hazy memories remains to this day.

1998 (MSU 80, Michigan 75; at Breslin). After losing his first five meetings to Michigan, Tom Izzo finally broke through into the win column.  I clearly remember watching this game at the Peanut Barrel in East Lansing and, fueled by a reasonable amount of beer, going crazy near the end of a tense back-and-forth victory against the Wolverines. I talked a lot of trash and said some nasty things about Robert "Tractor' Traylor and the rest of the Michigan team. I let out all my frustration that had been pent up during that five-game losing streak between 1996 to the first MSU/UM meeting of 1998. Those there who were unfamiliar with what a lunatic I can become during MSU sporting events were probably alarmed by my demeanor.

2000 (MSU 114, Michigan 63; at Breslin). Unfortunately, I had to work during this game and didn't actually see it until after the fact. (My at-the-time fiancée and later wife was good enough to tape the game for me. Ah, the days of VHS. What memories).  A friend of mine and fellow co-worker (who was smart and took the day off to watch the game) called me at work to relay the score, probably at or near halftime. (Once again, imagine that there was once a time when you couldn't check a score on your phone or computer). The phone conversation I had with my friend went something like this:

Friend: "You'll never guess what the score is."

Me (always a bit worried when it comes to this game): "Uh-oh, is it good or bad?"

Friend: "Oh, it's pretty good."

Me: "Okay, what's the score?"

Friend: "MSU is up 51-24."

Me: "Get the hell out of here! Seriously? You better not be messing with me!"

Friend: "No! It's really 51-24! I'm not kidding!"

Me: "Holy shit."

It was an amazing and incredible win in which everything--and I mean EVERYTHING--went right for the Spartans. Seemingly every shot they made went in the basket, and Mateen Cleaves set a Big Ten assist record that still stands. The game was a happy culmination of everything Izzo had built over the first five years of his head coaching tenure, and served as a hometown send-off for the Spartans' march to the Big Ten tournament championship and national championship.

***

While this year's game doesn't have as much juice or intrigue as games past, it's still Michigan. I'm hoping for a win. With a victory, I'll be content until September (regardless of what happens in Ann Arbor) and the Spartan basketball team will set themselves up well for a potentially strong finish to the regular season. I don't want to think of what a loss will mean.

Ugly basketball

I endured Michigan State's brutal loss to Maryland last Saturday in what has to be the ugliest Spartan basketball game of the season. Somehow, I kept thinking that MSU might miraculously make a run in the second half to make it a game, but that never happened.

 

It with some trepidation that I watched the MSU/Penn State game on Wednesday evening. After the Maryland debacle, I felt a little gun shy. Initially, I thought maybe I'd only watch the first half, then if the game was bad, switch over to The Middle and The Goldbergs on ABC and periodically check the game to see what was happening. Well, the ABC sitcoms were repeats, so despite MSU only clinging to a 2-point lead, I figured there was no excuse not to watch the game to its conclusion.

 

Penn State, and in particular D.J. Newbill, seemingly could not miss a shot after halftime and it looked for all the world like a replay of the Texas Southern game. Fortunately for MSU, Nittany Lions' coach Pat Chambers--who it must be said bears a striking resemblance to Daddy Warbucks--gave the Spartans a big boost when he was T'd up. Sometimes a technical foul called on a coach will inspire that coach's team to play harder, but in this case it spurred the Spartans on. But even when it looked like the Spartans had seized control of the game in the final few minutes, their absolutely atrocious free throw shooting almost did them in. Still, MSU made enough good plays down the stretch to win an ugly game.

 

So now I'm faced with the same conundrum regarding tomorrow's road game against Nebraska: How much of the game do I watch? Do I watch at all? I suppose I will end up watching, but I may need to be lubricated with enough adult beverages to endure what has recently been some painful basketball.

The national champion Ohio State Buckeyes

It was a completely dominant performance by Ohio State in clobbering Oregon in the national championship game. Final score: 42-20. Not quite as close as I thought it might be.

 

The story of the game was athleticism and pure brute strength and physicality. Despite four turnovers, the Buckeyes relentlessly punished the Ducks in all other facets of the game. Ezekial Elliott, in particular, was unstoppable. Oregon's defense had no answer for him, (and neither did Wisconsin or Alabama. Elliott's rushing numbers in the last three games are mind-boggling: 76 carries for 796 yards).

On the other side of the ball, Ohio State's ferocious defense anchored by Joey Bosa put enough pressure on Mariota to render the Ducks' offense largely ineffective. Oregon also made more mistakes (dropped passes, false starts, holding calls) than they had all year--probably due to the fact Ohio State was the best team they'd played all year.

 

Last year, I ripped Urban Meyer something fierce. I'm still not a big fan, because I believe he will do whatever is necessary to win, ethics be damned. In any case, there is no denying the man is a great football coach. He's a master motivator, and it's remarkable that he overcame the loss of Braxton Miller and J.T. Barrett to direct the Buckeyes to a national championship. When your second and third string quarterbacks are better than they guy who was supposed to be the starter before the season began, then you know you have something special going on. The Buckeyes didn't miss a beat with Barrett or Cardale Jones.

 

I have to admit I had no idea who to root for in this game. On one hand, it's great for the Big Ten's national perception to win a national title, finish 6-5 in bowl games, and go 4-0 in January bowl games. On the other hand, it also meant having to pull for Meyer and OSU, which for me is just slightly better than rooting for Michigan.

 

In the end, though, I was approving--if not necessarily happy--with OSU winning it all. There are some that may argue that this isn't good for all the other Big Ten teams. Listen, Ohio State will get great players regardless of how this game turned out. But why can't other Big Ten coaches use this to their advantage by giving it a positive spin? Tell potential recruits, "hey, if you want a chance to play against some of the nation's best players in the conference that produced the national champion, the come to [name the school]."

 

I admit that there's a big part of me as a fan who is jealous of Ohio State. If not for a game against the Buckeyes at Spartan Stadium in November that took a radical momentum shift in OSU's favor just before halftime, maybe it's MSU in that position.

 

But there's no use in stewing, and it's a sign of how far Dantonio has elevated MSU's program that I can even wonder--with a straight face--what it'd be like if MSU had beaten OSU and was in the college football playoff instead of the Buckeyes.

Ohio State/Oregon

Before the national championship game begins, I'm popping in here with a quick prediction.

 

MSU played both of these teams, and though it's a close call, the Ohio State Buckeyes impressed me more than Oregon. So, with some hesitation, I'm picking the Buckeyes to beat the Ducks in a close game. Let's call it: Ohio State 41, Oregon 37.

 

Even with Cardale Jones at quarterback, who quite frankly has not been much of a drop-off from J.T. Barrett, I like OSU. They have the athletes to hang with Oregon's up tempo offense.

 

Now, this isn't to say Oregon has no shot. Far from it. Mariota is the best,most dynamic quarterback I've seen this year. He was much deserving of the Heisman. If he goes off, look out Buckeyes.

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.

Processing the New Year's Day Miracle

I've had a few days now to process what transpired on January 1, though I am still impatiently waiting for either ESPN or BTN to replay MSU's miraculous Cotton Bowl comeback victory.

Where to start?

It's incredible to consider that the two teams playing for the national championship, Ohio State and Oregon, are the only two teams that beat Michigan State in 2014.

I'm happy for the Big Ten Conference. For at least this year, the conference has acquitted itself well in the bowl season and shaken the critics off its back. New Year's Day was especially sweet with Wisconsin defeating Auburn in overtime, Michigan State shocking Baylor, and Ohio State playing a great second half and soundly defeating Alabama.

Another wonderful aspect of those victories, and in particular MSU's win? The Jim "The Messiah" Harbaugh love-fest was knocked off the front pages for the first time in weeks, and people were reminded that football is still played at Michigan State.

Mark Dantonio and Michigan State also made a statement that this program isn't going anywhere. This was a huge win over a Baylor team that for weeks had complained that it belonged in the college football playoff, and is a legitimate top 5 team. The Bears have the best vertical passing game I've seen in I don't know how long (at least since the Spartans played Oregon earlier in the season--and as everyone knows, the Ducks are now playing for a national championship).

It was a win in a hostile environment that was, for all intents and purposes, a Baylor home game. Perhaps the fashion in which MSU won wasn't pretty, but the Spartans took advantage of every opportunity that Baylor threw its way in the fourth quarter. That's all one can ask a team to do. For as poorly as MSU played in the first three quarters (actually, the first quarter wasn't bad--the 2nd and 3rd were ugly), they figured it out when it mattered the most, and Pat Narduzzi decided to "unleash the hounds" in the final quarter. Probably feeling desperation and acknowledging that the defensive scheme of the first three quarters was a failure, Nardawg had the defense blitz on practically every play in the fourth quarter and it paid off.

So now I must eventually find the time to go out and find some Cotton Bowl merch. I tend to wait until a bowl game has been played and the result known before I spend any money on clothing or other paraphernalia. The one exception was last year when I bought two Rose Bowl shirts: one before January 1 and another after January 1.

One thing I know for certain: when the Cotton Bowl dvd/blu-ray combo pack is released (and I've already seen listings for it) I will be one of the first people to snag a copy. I will add it to my MSU sports dvd collection which now includes: the 1966 MSU/ND football game, the MSU basketball documentary that BTN produced five years ago, the 1979 NCAA basketball championship, the 2000 NCAA basketball championship, and last year's Rose Bowl. (Sorry to get all "Rain Man" on you there. Sometimes I can't help myself).

Well, I'm signing off for now. I'll be back later, whether you like it or not, with more musings.

I can't believe what I just saw

I'm almost speechless...I can't believe what I just saw. I realize I'm stealing that line from Jack Buck's call of former Spartan Kirk Gibson's walk off homer in game one of the '88 World Series, but it keep going in my head and seems apropos.

 

I can't believe what I just saw.

 

MSU, seemingly unable to stop Baylor's high-charged, sling-it-all-over-the-field offense, improbably and amazingly scored 21 unanswered points in the 4th quarter to complete the most amazing Spartan football comeback win I've ever witnessed.

 

(Yes, I know about the 2006 Northwestern comeback, but that doesn't belong in the discussion with this game against a national top five team playing in its own Texas backyard).

 

My hands have finally stopped shaking. My heart has stopped pounding at about 120 beats a minute. It will still take hours for my adrenaline to reach normal levels and for me to process this amazing 42-41 MSU win over Baylor.