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.
Friday, March 29, 2013
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Monday, March 25, 2013
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.
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.
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Bring on March Madnesss
(I'm coming to you from my Nook, so when I publish this post, it'll probably look like one huge paragraph until I'm able to fix it on a real computer). Well, MSU lost to the red hot Ohio State Buckeyes in the Big Ten Tournament semi-finals. For whatever reason, Aaron Craft always goes off against the Spartans. He's one of those guys you'd love if he was on your team, but seeing in Ohio State's uniform makes your blood boil and causes you to hurl epithets at your TV screen.
Speaking of Ohio State, they are on a roll and, for what it's worth, in my bracket I have them playing in the national championship game against Miami. I predict Miami to win because I just can't bring myself to wish too much good fortune towards the Buckeyes.
I'm nervous about Valparaiso, MSU's first opponent in the NCAA tournament. They are a good perimeter shooting team led by five seniors, all of whom start. MSU has had some occasional trouble defending the three this season. (Listen to me try to pretend I know what I'm talking about. Ha!). If MSU doesn't take these guys seriously enough, they could be upset.
***
Today and tomorrow are the two most exciting days of the sports calendar. Forget about the Super Bowl, which I contend is the most overrated sporting event of the year, and give me the first two real days--I don't count the "play-in games"--of the NCAA tourmament ANY day. For pure exitement and drama, the NCAA basketball tournament can't be beat.
I'm not a big fan of the "First Four" games of the tournament, and liked the NCAA tourmament much more when it was simply 64 teams all staring play on the same two days. (The NCAA hates for these games to be referred to as "play-in games," but let's face it, that's what they are). Of course, the NCAA doesn't realize when it has a good thing and has to endlessly tinker with the format. At least the field hasn't been expanded to 96 teams, but I would not be surprised if that happens sometime in the not-to-distant future.
I happen to be home today and tomorrow and will be able to watch the games. I haven't been able to do this since 1998, the first year that Tom Izzo took MSU to the NCAA tournament. I vividly recall watching Mateen Cleaves and company taking on a pesky Eastern Michigan team led by Earl Boykins, and then two days later beating Bill Carmody's 27-1 Princeton Tigers. Many pundits didn't give MSU much of a chance against Princeton, who had only dropped one game all year up to that point (a 60-52 loss to a great North Carolina team), but the Spartans pulled it out. That win proved that MSU basketball was back, and I'll never forget being able to see those both of those games.
It's rather fortuitous that I'm home today, because the MSU/Valpo game tips off at 12:15, the first game of the afternoon. I'd completely miss it if I was at work, and would proably not get much work done anyway because I'd be constantly checking the score.
It's less than hour from game time, so I'm out of here. I'll check back in after the game.
Saturday, March 16, 2013
Exciting win over Iowa; and appreciating the current glory years
Tonight's MSU win over Iowa fit the description of "barn burner." Somehow, some way, the Spartans had enough to beat an inspired Hawkeye team that seemed to lose their legs a bit in the last few minutes of the game. Now, it's another date with Ohio State.
These are the glory years of Michigan State basketball, and we as fans need to appreciate them while they last. I remember a time when just making the NCAA tournament was a cause for celebration. God bless Jud Heathcote, but he had his share of mediocre-to-godawful teams that in some years were just lucky to make the NIT. Tom Izzo has elevated the program to heights we've never seen before, and who knows if we'll see them again when he retires or moves on.
I certainly don't mean to disrespect Jud Heathcote. He was a truly great coach who may have been a little hamstrung by having to recruit kids to play in Jenison Field House, and his own (quite admirable) refusal to kiss the asses of high school basketball players. This trait may have cost Jud a few top drawer recruits over his years at MSU. As it turns out, besides the 1979 national championship team, a guy named Tom Izzo is probably Jud Heathcote's greatest gift to Michigan State University.
These are the glory years of Michigan State basketball, and we as fans need to appreciate them while they last. I remember a time when just making the NCAA tournament was a cause for celebration. God bless Jud Heathcote, but he had his share of mediocre-to-godawful teams that in some years were just lucky to make the NIT. Tom Izzo has elevated the program to heights we've never seen before, and who knows if we'll see them again when he retires or moves on.
I certainly don't mean to disrespect Jud Heathcote. He was a truly great coach who may have been a little hamstrung by having to recruit kids to play in Jenison Field House, and his own (quite admirable) refusal to kiss the asses of high school basketball players. This trait may have cost Jud a few top drawer recruits over his years at MSU. As it turns out, besides the 1979 national championship team, a guy named Tom Izzo is probably Jud Heathcote's greatest gift to Michigan State University.
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Second place isn't all that bad, and schadenfreude tastes especially sweet today
I'm watching the Big Ten Network's replay of the Michigan State/Northwestern basketball game.
Remember early in the conference season when I said Michigan was the team to beat in the Big Ten? Well, I was wrong. I am happy now to be able to admit it.
Congratulations to the Indiana Hoosiers, who earned the outright Big Ten title with a come-from-behind victory over Michigan.
Even though a Michigan win would have given MSU an opportunity to earn a share of the Big Ten title, I couldn't bring myself to wish anything but ill will for the Wolverines. It was an interesting experiment to watch that UofM/IU game and see what my reaction would be. Could I pull of Michigan? The answer was a resounding NO. I am physically and emotionally revolted by the sight of the block "M", the sound of that irritating "Hail to the Victors", and those hideous yellow highlighter-hued uniforms. I don't want Michigan's help, and I don't want them to have any momentum or good feeling heading into the Big Ten tournament or NCAA tournament, and I sure as heck don't want to share a conference title with Michigan. In short, screw the Blue.
Rarely has schadenfreude tasted as sweet than the way Michigan seized defeat from the jaws of victory against Indiana. The best part of Michigan's loss was that, coupled with MSU's win over Northwestern, the Spartans finish above Michigan in the final conference standings and have a better Big Ten tournament seeding that they would have had if Michigan had beaten IU.
I thought that the race for Big Ten Player of the Year might come down to the UofM/IU game. In the battle between Burke and Oladipo, I suppose Oladipo was slightly better than Burke, based mainly on the fact that Indiana won the game, but really it was a draw. The real star in this game was Cody Zeller, who scored 25 points and pulled down 10 rebounds. (Oladipo had 14 points and 13 boards).
***
A few posts ago, I dissed Northwestern and all but guaranteed a 15-20 point win for MSU. I should have known better, given the way the last few meetings between MSU and Northwestern have gone. With Indiana already beating Michigan, and the MSU players surely knowing about the result, there was no longer a share of the conference title to play for. The game was a slog, with Northwestern playing like it was the NCAA championship game and the Spartans looking fairly uninspired and sloppy. As often happens at Breslin, though, MSU finally surged ahead in the last 4 minutes or so to pull out a win.
It's getting late, I'm tired, and I really need to go to bed. But I will be back to write about Big Ten basketball later.
Remember early in the conference season when I said Michigan was the team to beat in the Big Ten? Well, I was wrong. I am happy now to be able to admit it.
Congratulations to the Indiana Hoosiers, who earned the outright Big Ten title with a come-from-behind victory over Michigan.
Even though a Michigan win would have given MSU an opportunity to earn a share of the Big Ten title, I couldn't bring myself to wish anything but ill will for the Wolverines. It was an interesting experiment to watch that UofM/IU game and see what my reaction would be. Could I pull of Michigan? The answer was a resounding NO. I am physically and emotionally revolted by the sight of the block "M", the sound of that irritating "Hail to the Victors", and those hideous yellow highlighter-hued uniforms. I don't want Michigan's help, and I don't want them to have any momentum or good feeling heading into the Big Ten tournament or NCAA tournament, and I sure as heck don't want to share a conference title with Michigan. In short, screw the Blue.
Rarely has schadenfreude tasted as sweet than the way Michigan seized defeat from the jaws of victory against Indiana. The best part of Michigan's loss was that, coupled with MSU's win over Northwestern, the Spartans finish above Michigan in the final conference standings and have a better Big Ten tournament seeding that they would have had if Michigan had beaten IU.
I thought that the race for Big Ten Player of the Year might come down to the UofM/IU game. In the battle between Burke and Oladipo, I suppose Oladipo was slightly better than Burke, based mainly on the fact that Indiana won the game, but really it was a draw. The real star in this game was Cody Zeller, who scored 25 points and pulled down 10 rebounds. (Oladipo had 14 points and 13 boards).
***
A few posts ago, I dissed Northwestern and all but guaranteed a 15-20 point win for MSU. I should have known better, given the way the last few meetings between MSU and Northwestern have gone. With Indiana already beating Michigan, and the MSU players surely knowing about the result, there was no longer a share of the conference title to play for. The game was a slog, with Northwestern playing like it was the NCAA championship game and the Spartans looking fairly uninspired and sloppy. As often happens at Breslin, though, MSU finally surged ahead in the last 4 minutes or so to pull out a win.
It's getting late, I'm tired, and I really need to go to bed. But I will be back to write about Big Ten basketball later.
Michigan State versus Wisconsin, and to root for UM or not to root for UM, that is the question
I went to the MSU/Wisconsin basketball game on Thursday night and, though watching the Badgers' "style" of basketball--and I use the term basketball loosely when describing the way Wisconsin drags the game back to the peach basket era--I enjoyed myself. There is nothing like experiencing college basketball in a live setting, particularly at Breslin. Though the students are currently on spring break, the "alumni Izzone" brought the noise and it was a great atmosphere (even if nothing compared to the frenzy of the Michigan game--nothing could top that).
I was pleased with Spartans' performance on Thursday night. Keith Appling, as I expected, broke out of his funk and the whole team really put it together. Adreian Payne had one of his best games of the year. Travis Trice was outstanding, Denzel Valentine made some outstanding passes, and the Spartans got it done. Conversely, the Badgers looked horrible. I don't know how much of that was due to MSU's defense, or the aftershock of Purdue pummeling the Badgers at Kohl Center last week. Wisconsin couldn't hit the broad side of a barn and seemed to pass the ball the guys in green-and-white more often than the players in red. Oh, and a note to Bo Ryan: you may want to recruit better athletes. As well as Wisconsin players adapt to Bo's system and execute it well, at some point the team's lack of athleticism is exposed by better opponents.
After struggling against Bo Ryan when Bo first entered the conference, Tom Izzo's teams have now won five straight over Wisconsin. Maybe that is due to MSU simply having better teams than Bo, but at least some of it might be a case of Tom figuring out how to play against Bo's ugly style of hoops. The keys seem to be a) patience on the defensive end, knowing that Wisconsin likes to use the entire shot clock and b) disrupting passing lanes and being active with your hands to force turnovers thereby helping to create fast break opportunities. The one thing Wisconsin doesn't like to do is run. (One of the most interesting stats from the game was 15 fast break points for Michigan State and--unsurprisingly-zero for Wisconsin).
It occurs to me that I never intended this blog to be a platform for me to wow anyone with my x's and o's expertise, since I don't have an illusions of being a sports expert. So if anyone out there with any real basketball knowledge is reading this and things I'm full of crap, please don't hesitate to let me know.
***
On the Lansing-area sports talk shows this past week, one of the major topics of discussion was whether or not MSU fans should root for Michigan to beat Indiana on Sunday. A Wolverine win over the Hoosiers would guarantee the Spartans a share of the Big Ten title, though that means Michigan would ALSO be a co-champion. The way I see it, I root for Michigan State first and foremost and try not to concern myself with what Michigan does. How can any self-respecting MSU fan NOT want the Spartans to win another banner to hang from the rafters at Breslin? It's not a matter of "rooting for Michigan" but "rooting against Indiana."
(I'm being summoned for domestic duty, so I shall try and finish this later).
I was pleased with Spartans' performance on Thursday night. Keith Appling, as I expected, broke out of his funk and the whole team really put it together. Adreian Payne had one of his best games of the year. Travis Trice was outstanding, Denzel Valentine made some outstanding passes, and the Spartans got it done. Conversely, the Badgers looked horrible. I don't know how much of that was due to MSU's defense, or the aftershock of Purdue pummeling the Badgers at Kohl Center last week. Wisconsin couldn't hit the broad side of a barn and seemed to pass the ball the guys in green-and-white more often than the players in red. Oh, and a note to Bo Ryan: you may want to recruit better athletes. As well as Wisconsin players adapt to Bo's system and execute it well, at some point the team's lack of athleticism is exposed by better opponents.
After struggling against Bo Ryan when Bo first entered the conference, Tom Izzo's teams have now won five straight over Wisconsin. Maybe that is due to MSU simply having better teams than Bo, but at least some of it might be a case of Tom figuring out how to play against Bo's ugly style of hoops. The keys seem to be a) patience on the defensive end, knowing that Wisconsin likes to use the entire shot clock and b) disrupting passing lanes and being active with your hands to force turnovers thereby helping to create fast break opportunities. The one thing Wisconsin doesn't like to do is run. (One of the most interesting stats from the game was 15 fast break points for Michigan State and--unsurprisingly-zero for Wisconsin).
It occurs to me that I never intended this blog to be a platform for me to wow anyone with my x's and o's expertise, since I don't have an illusions of being a sports expert. So if anyone out there with any real basketball knowledge is reading this and things I'm full of crap, please don't hesitate to let me know.
***
On the Lansing-area sports talk shows this past week, one of the major topics of discussion was whether or not MSU fans should root for Michigan to beat Indiana on Sunday. A Wolverine win over the Hoosiers would guarantee the Spartans a share of the Big Ten title, though that means Michigan would ALSO be a co-champion. The way I see it, I root for Michigan State first and foremost and try not to concern myself with what Michigan does. How can any self-respecting MSU fan NOT want the Spartans to win another banner to hang from the rafters at Breslin? It's not a matter of "rooting for Michigan" but "rooting against Indiana."
(I'm being summoned for domestic duty, so I shall try and finish this later).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)