She's BAAAAACCCKK...

Back and maybe NOT better than ever, but I will try.



It's been a little tough getting back into the fray after 3 weeks of nothing but scores and highlights at my fingertips. It's bad news when you have a college basketball blog, leave the country and return with the need to play extreme catch-up. It might not be such a bad thing though--I won't be jaded with past performance or records, but rather where teams are at NOW and how they progress as we head into the meat of the season.



Rest-assured that I will have plenty to say about the fact that the Spartans gave me not one, but TWO heart attacks this week, eeking out wins over Minnesota and Michigan.



I watched South Carolina overtake Kentucky, watched Kansas dominate Mizzou (which was so sad, I thought Mizzou would have given them a better game), and can't WAIT to regale you with tales of games that will happen this weekend.



The Kentucky-SC game was interesting...I've never been a huge Kentucky fan, but they are quite fun to watch and I admit wholeheartedly that I've bought into the John Wall hype--I LOVE him. I HATE getting emotionally attached to players who will only be around for one year. I still say what I've said before and that is that Kentucky's youth in close games can and will get the better of them come tournament time. That's not to say they'll go out early, but they've now shown, just like all the other top teams, that they are vulnerable and not just when playing the big boys.



Also, SC getting fined for court-storming?!?! Not a fan of that rule. Yes, I understand WHY it exists--it is purely for safety and I would rather they have it now then after someone gets seriously hurt, but it puts such a damper on the joys of being a rowdy student fan...not that those rowdy student fans seemed to be dampened after that win. ;) *sigh* I miss those days.



It will be interesting to see who's #1 after the weekend as well..tons of big games and tons of opportunity for someone (*cough* NOVA) to sneak in and steal that spot. And in case you are wondering, no, I won't have a problem if Kansas does well this weekend and gets back to #1. At this point in the season, they are EARNING it by playing well and beating quality opponents. Make sense?



And in case you are wondering, NO, I don't think MSU should be #1. I love them, but they aren't there yet. They can be #410 right now for all I care, just as long as they are #1 come April (ok, maybe not THAT far down, but you get my point).



Speaking of MSU...8-0 in the Big Ten, best start in school history? I'll take it. I don't know how long it can last given their schedule and if they can't put teams away, this "we got the W because our opponent missed their last-second shot" luck is going to run out quickly. I have mixed emotions about the idea of my favorite teams going undefeated--on one hand, I LOVE IT. On the other hand, I think it gets into dangerous territory and possibly lulls them into a false sense of security. While I never WANT the team I cheer for to lose, I think an occasional loss can be a wake-up call and keep a team hungry and on their toes. That said, MSU still has a LOT of tough games coming up--at Wisconsin, at Illinois, vs. Ohio State and 2 games with Purdue. Yikes. I have full faith that they CAN run the table, but whether or not they will remains to be seen. It's a tough task for anyone, particularly when they are already at the top of the conference with a target on their back. With each win, that target gets bigger and every team wants to be the ones to take them down just a little bit more. Hopefully, the Spartans remember to just play well, play as a team and take it one game at a time. I have no doubt Izzo reminds them of that daily. :)

However, I think the Michigan game was evidence that the Spartans aren't quite playing their best basketball yet. The turnovers are driving me CRAZY and it's something that they've struggled with for the past couple of seasons. When they take care of the ball and make sharp passes, hard drives and strong moves to the basket, they can make anything happen. CONTROL IT PLEASE.

I AM very pleased with the response from Raymar Morgan. He has this fire in his eye that just says, "Get out of the way, 'cause we aren't leaving here until we win." LOVE IT! I've seen that look in all the Spartans in the past and I hope Ray can inspire the rest of them with his passion.

Big games this weekend kids....enjoy!!!

P.S. Props to anyone tuning in after my long hiatus...thanks for reading! :)

Maybe We Can Beat UNC Before the End of the Century...

...but it isn't looking good. Due to travel for work, I wasn't able to watch this game. However, my good friend Sarah took notes during the game and passed me her thoughts. I would like to share them with you, since I did enjoy them so much (though I did NOT enjoy the outcome).

"Thoughts on UNC-MSU"
by Sarah G., guest blogger

~UNC was scoring lights out ridiculous, so that sucked a lot. It was like they had Hansbrough pixie dust on them and could not be stopped, so that was a rather large factor.

~MSU did battle back from a 19-point deficit, so I was proud that they didn't just roll over. But it was just really not their night--or it was just really UNC's night, like they made a ridiculous 3 pointer at the first half buzzer and EVERYTHING was falling in.

~In the 2nd half, Morgan got an awesome steal....and then ran into Lucas...wah wah...and then both Roe and Green fouled out.

~Draymond Green was amazing. I love him. He is just such a good all-around player. Making great passes, grabbing rebounds, totally tough and committed to the game. And at the end, after he fouled out, he gathered everyone up and gave them a mini-pep talk or something. SO CUTE. And he made all his free throws.

~Chris Allen started off well. He was actually playing defense and grabbing rebounds and then he did his weird Allen disappearing act.

~Raymar Morgan had a great game and Durrell Summers remembered how to score 3s again.

~Sherman seemed to be trying his best, but....he's got a ways to go to be a true defensive threat.

So that's it!! Please feel free to share your thoughts on the game!!

Big Game, Big Win

And we are....right back into college basketball season with some great games on throughout the day Tuesday. I had these lovely visions of coming home from work, settling in on the couch with a beer and flipping between various games on different channels....Sadly, that never happened. I actually ended up at work until 9:15 pm, crouched in front of my computer, focused on watching my Spartans take on the Bulldogs of Gonzaga (God bless ESPN360.com). I REALLY wanted to watch Memphis-Kansas and do a little writing about that, but unfortunately that wasn't an option....So guess what? MSU it is (I know, you're shocked).

As I sat and watched, I wasn't super-pleased with the opening effort. Down as many as 13 points in the first half, the Spartans were out-rebounded, out-hustled and out-manned down low. It seemed like they really struggled to find any kind of offensive rhythm--on the other side, Gonzaga came ready to play and went at MSU hard. To be frank, I didn't pay much attention to Gonzaga this preseason. I always kind of assume they are going to be good and felt as though this would be a tough game regardless. Based on those assumptions, I figured I would just watch the game and see what they looked like...and had several observations...

1.) Gonzaga has SIZE. I didn't realize how large these guys actually are. They have a 7 footer and a kid that is SEVEN FOOT FIVE. I mean, seriously!?!? SEVEN FOOT FIVE!?!?!? How do you even GET to be that big? They also have 2 freshmen that are 6'10 and 6'11. Their best shooter, Matt Bouldin, stands at 6'5. Freshman 7'0 Robert Sacre had a great game, especially dominanting in the first half--he showed some great potential for his future with the Bulldogs.

2.) The Zags are CLEARLY underrated and will be in the top 25 very shortly. People questioned whether Mark Few was rebuilding or reloading. I think last night gave us our answer.

3.) Delvon Roe had a BAD game. Fouling out with about 9:30 left in the game, no points, very little contribution. It's still early in the season and he's definitely not 100% from his concussion, so I'm not TOO worried, but he HAS to contribute in order for the Spartans to do well. It is a must.

4.) Freshman Derrick Nix missed FOUR consecutive free throws. FOUR. Unacceptable. He's young and new and adjusting to being a college player in a high-pressure atmosphere, so I'm willing to cut him a LITTLE slack, but let's not make that a habit, okay?

5.) Durrell Summers is incredible--what else can I say!??! He got his first career double-double, hitting shots from all over the floor (including an off-balance, fadeaway while falling down...AMAZING) and basically carried the Spartans on his back, stepping up when others struggled.

6.) Other props go to Raymar Morgan, who despite a lackluster first half and minor ankle injury, came out strong in the second half and helped lift the Spartans back into the game before fouling out. During his time on the bench, he transistioned into a role as cheerleader and the alternating looks of concern and excitement on his face were just so endearing. He just CARES so much.

I had several non-MSU fans make comments during the game that I must be freaking out or that MSU can't win a national championship playing like this...to which I replied, CALM DOWN! IT IS NOVEMBER. Yes, there were multiple things that they need to work on...but every team has multiple things to work on...Kansas, Kentucky, etc. etc. There is sloppiness and some questionable shooting on every team...that's okay. Typically, how it works is that teams GET BETTER as the year goes by. RELAX. If I can watch a game like last night without completely freaking out, I think everyone can.

HAPPY BASKETBALL SEASON!!!!!!!!!!!!!

An Open Letter to the Spartans

Dear Spartans,

You know I love you. Every day since April 6th, I've counted down the days until Oct. 16, when Midnight Madness hits and you can once again unleash your basketball greatness to the world.

That time is now upon us. I can't pretend I don't have high expectations for you this season. You made it all the way to the championship last year and while I was proud, I think this is your time to take it all. I know you can do it. No matter what, I will always expect you to play hard. You may lose a game or two this season and that will be okay--which I am putting in writing because I'm sure I might have some anger about it later. I know it's early and there's a long way to go, but I'd like to take this time to address a few concerns.

Every November, the season starts and the injuries begin. This year is no different. It appears that several of you are having some issues. Delvon Roe: Concussion. Korie Lucious: Sprained Ankle. Chris Allen: Groin. Raymar Morgan: Sprained Ankle. Here is my plea: Get it all out now. Take the bumps and bruises, come down with swine flu, roll an ankle, whatever. Do it early and then STOP. Stay healthy. Be strong. In order to make it all the way, WE NEED ALL OF YOU AT 100% and not on the surgery table or sitting on the bench with a fever. I'm sure you will all be fine, but I'm just feeling some stress.

I would like to specifically address you, Raymar Morgan. You are an incredible asset to the team. We all love you. When you're on, you're unstoppable. You showed us in the UConn game and we were all so proud. This season, with Suton gone, we need that Raymar EVERY GAME. We need your leadership, strength, rebounding and most importantly, your offense. Please step it up and deliver. I know you can.

Here's to a great season, Spartans...I'll be watching!

GO GREEN,

Wigs