VINDICATION!

I love when I make observations and it turns out I'm not completely out on a limb.

As I watched MSU-OSU this past Saturday (a HUGE road win for State by the way and one I was extremely proud of), I mentioned to the man sitting next to me at the bar that it seemed like Jared Sullinger was really affected by the physicality of the game. 

I've watched several Ohio State games this year and while I really respect Sullinger as a player, I notice that he gets a LOT of calls.  But conversely, when the refs aren't calling it his way, he seems to get a little pouty--sarcastically laughing and shaking his head, complaining to the refs, etc.  And subsequently, his game suffers.  I knew the game was physical and the refs were "letting them play," so I thought MAYBE there was some validity to his complaints.  But then, they should the free throw discrepancy and I changed my mind.

This afternoon I came across THIS from SI.com's Seth Davis in his mailbag...

Beyond the questions about depth, I thought Chris from South Dakota made a salient point about Sullinger. He was way too engaged with the refs during the Michigan State game. The Spartans' game plan was clearly to get physical with him, but it's hard to argue that was unfair when Michigan State was whistled for four more fouls than Ohio State, allowing the Buckeyes to attempt six more free throws. Perhaps Sullinger's treatment by opposing defenses has been a little too prominent in his mind. The morning of the Michigan State game, Sullinger's father, Satch, who coached Jared in high school, was quoted in The Columbus Dispatch complaining about "bush-league coaches [who] are beating on him just to make him lose his cool." (I say unnamed, but the Dispatch reporter interpreted Satch's comment as a reference to Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan.)
Apparently, Matta showed his players video of the loss to Michigan State and pointed out their facial expressions and body language. Said Sullinger, "Honestly, we looked like spoiled brats out there if you look at the tape -- arguing with one another, complaining about calls." Maybe they learned a valuable lesson.

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/seth_davis/02/15/Hoops.mailbag/index.html#ixzz1mUb0BmwY

I think you'll find it supports my claims.  :)

All Roads in the Big 12 Go Through Lawrence

I won't bury the lead.

Last night's Border War between Kansas and Missouri was everything a rivalry game should be: passionate, intense, emotional and down to the wire.

Regardless of any preseason expectations, I think it's safe to say Kansas will always be at the top of the conference. They're talented and well-coached, not to mention being backed by a rabid fanbase that creates a fantastic homecourt advantage. So even though they weren't picked to win this year, it's hard to believe they wouldn't put up a fight. Now, of course, everyone is singing a different tune. And even though Missouri had the higher ranking heading into the game, I got the feeling they were considered a little bit of an underdog.

I wish I could have been at that arena last night....WOW. It was a completely electric atmosphere--so much so you would have thought the Jayhawks were walking in ranked #1.

The game started fast, the crowd fed off the pace, the teams fed off the crowd and it stayed close--13 lead changes in the first half alone. The one thing I thought was interesting was that Kansas seemed to really find it easy to go inside...and yet didn't really exploit that enough.

The difference-maker in that first half was the explosiveness of Mizzou's guards and in particular, the play of Marcus Denmon. Homeboy's been in something of a shooting slump the last few games and chose this opportunity to bust out of it in a big way.

The 2nd half was a bit of a different story. KU came out really aggressive and finally seemed to be taking advantage of their size--grabbing rebounds, scoring in transition, hitting the offensive boards and getting 2nd chance points...an 8-0 run later, they were on top.

With about 4 minutes left in the game, Mizzou went cold from 3, started forcing some bad shots and I even turned to my friend and said, "looks like Kansas is about to run away with it..."

Then a couple of interesting things happened. With just under 2 minutes to go, KU's Thomas Robinson (who'd been lighting it up in the 2nd half) drove down the lane and got called for an offensive foul--which just happened to be his 4th personal. On the ensuing possession, the hero of the hour, Marcus Denmon, came off a screen and hit a HUGE 3. BAM. Momentum = shifted.

From that point on, it was all Tigers. Kansas seemed to go into desperation-mode (which I've seen them do a couple times this year), making stupid frustration fouls and allowing themselves to get out of control when trying to draw contact on the offensive end (usually resulting in offensive fouls and turnovers). If they want to be successful come March, that HAS to stop. Tourney games are often tight and come down to the wire (I know, a statement worthy of Captain Obvious) and losing your poise is what sends you home.

Of course, I was excited to see Mizzou get a huge win and see my man, Phil Pressey get to shine! But the regular season is far from over and Missouri still has a few big obstacles in their way...the largest being a return trip to Phog Allen Fieldhouse in a few weeks. Suffice it to say the Jayhawks (and their fans) will be waiting.

Random Ramblings....

I promise that not every post will revolve around Michigan State.

Most of this post will though....so sorry, but bear with me.

~As much as I have faith in my Spartans, I'm really concerned over the pattern I've seen so far this season. In close, late-game situations, they seem to be disorganized, out-of-control and tentative. This leads to silly mistakes, bad shots, careless turnovers and in 2 of 3 cases, a loss.

Exhibit A: MSU-Wisconsin. Michigan State was somewhat in control and just needed to run out the clock for their first victory at the Kohl Center since basically the dawn of time. However, that comfort slipped away in the waning seconds after Wisconsin hit a number of random 3s. Thankfully, Ryan Evans' last-second 3 at the buzzer was ruled no good and MSU escaped. But it shouldn't have ever happened. That shot was a REBOUND off another desperation 3 heave. As Izzo said, "all I saw was a missed shot that we didn't get the rebound." AMEN BROTHER!

Exhibit B: Draymond Green's weird lane floater thing against Michigan...I won't go into that game again. I'll just leave it there.

Exhibit C: Michigan State vs. Illinois: Keith Appling's weird lane-driving floater and then no MSU rebounds.

I realize a lot of this can be chalked up to inexperience and that's fine--it's a young team and I know they'll learn from it. I'm just wondering how long it will take. Does this need to happen 5 more times before they break through? Or is it something that will see dividends come March? Or will we have to wait until next season after one more summer of seasoning? I don't really know, but I HOPE it happens sooner than later. My heart can't handle this all the time.

~The technical foul on Draymond Green: Silly? Yes--but understandable. It's been made very clear that the coordinator of officials, John Adams, wants refs to crack down on the disrespect from players and coaches all around. And that's fine. The rules should apply to EVERYONE, even a kid like Green who is rarely criticized for anything by anyone. He needs to watch himself just like all the rest of them. Which begs the question..

~Did anyone else notice the ridiculous amount of time Dan Dakich and Mike Tirico spent talking about Draymond Green's technical foul against Illinois? I mean, I get that the game was horrible and they were struggling for subject matter....but they seriously spent 15-20 minutes of real time discussing the memo from John Adams. At one point I actually YELLED AT THE TV and was like, "OK! We get it!! There was a memo! MOVE. ON." There were even a few times that I THOUGHT they moved on and were talking about something else and then Tirico would be like, "So back to that memo..." This happened FOUR TIMES. FOUR TIMES. And in case you're wondering, yes, he DID read the memo in its entirety. I normally enjoy Dakich and have no particular feelings one way or the other about Tirico, but last night they were getting on my last Polish nerve.

~I'm obsessed with Mizzou. OBSESSED. Their guards are insane, in the best possible way. They're lighting quick in transition, can slice through the lane and then just when you think you've stopped them, they pass it out to a different guard who hits a 3. They all seem to be pretty unselfish as well--they have great court vision and always seem to know where their teammate it and whether or not theirs is the best shot. It's awesome to watch. I also feel the national media jumping on my Flip Pressey bandwagon. Please see other blog entries from the past season where I declare my love for him. Climb on up people! There's still plenty of room!

~Speaking of Mizzou...I cannot WAIT for Mizzou-Kansas on Saturday. Can. Not. Wait.

~In other Big 12 news, Texas has a lot of young players and are in a sort of "down" year...but I bet that's not the case in 2012-2013.

~While we're talking Texas...pay attention to how much the announcers like to say the name "Myck Kabongo." I want to know if I'm the only one who thinks they all love his name and so they use it WAY more than necessary.

~Also, can anyone explain to me the recent trend of players spelling their name M-y-c-k (pronounced "Mike")? I'm not trying to be sarcastic, I just haven't seen it before.

~Sigh. Oh Xavier. What happened to you?

~Not to be critical, but Anthony Davis' unibrow has GOT to go. Please. It's so distracting I almost forget how good he is. Almost.

~My friends and I used to keep a running tally of number of times that Tyler Hansborough was mentioned during a broadcast, even when UNC wasn't playing. I'm thinking of modifying this to fit the Zeller brothers. I feel like this would be an amazing game during March Madness...you could, you know, take a sip of water or something...every time they talked about them....

~People are already talking about bubble teams. Isn't a little early for that? Let's wait until the end of February at least...

Beyond the Rivalry

Greetings friends!

One of my goals for 2012 is to blog every week. Given that this is my first post and it's the middle of January, I'd say I'm off to a rocky start.

But fear not! I'm committing to it AT LEAST once per week from now until the end of the tournament.

As of right now, all I can think about is last night's horrid Michigan-Michigan State game. And I mean horrid because of my dismay at the way my favorite team played. All the other factors were there: a great crowd, two teams coming off losses and fighting for position in the Big Ten, two great coaches, bragging rights...the stakes were high.

My initial thoughts on the match-up were that MSU would have to contain Trey Burke on the penetration, defend the 3 and rebound their faces off. I figured they had so much size on the inside that State's bigs would eat UM for lunch.

Safe to say that didn't happen.

I applaud the Spartans for fighting back and grabbing the lead late in the second half--whatever mistakes they had made previously wasn't enough for them to give up on the game. And I LOVED that. But for most of the game, I didn't love what I saw.

Overall, I felt like Michigan played to WIN and MSU played not to lose. Their defense (in both the loss to Northwestern and to Michigan) was spotty, their shot selection was very poor and they were extremely soft inside. I give a lot of credit to Michigan as well. They're tough, they're scrappy and they NEVER give up....that tenacity has won them a lot of games regardless of how they match up with the other team on paper.

(Oh and P.S. Denard? THAT'S what it's like when a Michigan team beats Michigan State. Figured I would point it out since you have no idea what that feels like. ZING!! Sorry, I had to.)

Here's the bottom line: Rivalry aside, I was really disappointed with State's performance on the whole. I don't mind losing if you give it everything you have and it just doesn't go your way (i.e. the UNC and Duke games). I mind losing when it's a game like that. As I said before, I love the way they fought back, but at that point it was too little, too late. And what really irks me? The fact that a win like that would have put them at the TOP of the Big Ten allllll alone....but the loss brings them into a 4 way tie for first. And it only gets murkier from here on out.

I am confident though that the coaches AND the players are unhappy with back to back losses. I am also confident that they'll all come out guns blazing.

At the beginning of the season, I never expected anyone to make it through the Big Ten undefeated. The league is too good and home court advantage holds too much weight. I walked around confidently predicting that while we would be better than the media gave credit for (see previous entries), the real different maker in the league would be those people that can 1.) Protect their home court and 2.) sneak out a couple of road wins anywhere possible. Since MSU stole one up at Wisconsin (and I admit, I NEVER thought that would happen until it did), I feel slightly better about things.

But at this point, in order to contend, MSU HAS to win out at home and will need to steal a victory from Illinois, and any combo of Indiana, Purdue and Ohio State.

Only time will tell.

Ohio State Throwdown

Big Ten-ACC Challenge Week is HERE!

I admit my bias...I want the Big Ten to kick some serious tail over the next couple days and claim victory.

After watching bits and pieces of the first few games, I really think it's possible. And then I settled in to watch OSU-Duke....and the Buckeyes blew my mind.

For lack of a better term, I'm going to be unoriginal and simply say that Ohio State was clicking on all cylinders. The energy and excitement in Value City Arena was so strong, I could feel it crackling through my television.

Ohio State came out ready to play and took total control from the opening tip...as evidenced by the fact they went up 11-0. The Blue Devils seemed shocked. OSU took away their rhythm and despite their best effort, they never really got it back. I've seen Duke play a couple of other times, so I KNOW they were better than what they showed. Instead of trying to go inside (which worked the few times they did it), they mostly jacked up 3s early in the shot clock, danced around the perimeter and made stupid fouls. I know Jared Sullinger is intimidating and very skilled, but Duke has enough size to combat that...but they didn't. For whatever reason, it was an off night...and unfortunately for them, EVERYTHING was going right for the Buckeyes.

Ohio State played a complete game on all ends of the floor--their defense was stifling, they harassed and hounded Duke players without fouling too much, moved the ball seamlessly on the offensive end (and showed great patience in doing so), took great shots and shared the ball...the assists were unreal. I'm going to go out on a limb and say this was a fantastic game for them and I doubt EVERY game will be like that...but that being said, it was the first time I had seen Ohio State play this season and WOW was I impressed. They really do have a complete team. Top 3: Aaron Craft is a defensive star and can run the point well, Jared Sullinger creates such a strong presence in the post and William Buford is the most dangerous. He can do it all--everywhere--and somehow gets lost in all the Sullinger/Craft talk...then BAM! He's lighting you up.

The one criticism they keep getting is that they aren't "deep." It will be interesting to watch if and how that affects them down the stretch...but I know enough to know I'll still be watching.

BASKETBALL 2011-2012 IN FULL SWING!

Greetings and Salutations kids!

Basketball season is finally upon us and look at that--I'm already behind in my postings. To make up for, I'm going to offer my pre-season list....Not the teams that will be the "best" but teams I enjoy and then of course, some general musings on things to watch for...I begin, of course, with my all-time #1...

1.) Michigan State Spartans: I felt this year's team was extremely underrated in the pre-season and after watching games against UNC and Duke, I am only more convinced. We have a strong senior leader in Draymond Green, great guard play with Keith Appling and lots of young talent on all ends of the floor. As much as I loved Kalin Lucas and Durrell Summers, it was very clear that neither of them felt comfortable being forced into a leadership role and the combination of that and off-season injuries and dismissals (Chris Allen and Korie Lucious) REALLY affected last year's team. Draymond Green has been waiting to take over for awhile now and I love that he's stepping up to take control. My only concern with him is when he tries to do everything himself and forces shots/passes when they aren't necessary. His points will come when he focuses on what he does best: defense, rebounding and going after every loose ball. I think the team learned a LOT from those first two games and I only see them getting better, faster and stronger. The chemistry and the effort are there--I think the coaches will iron out the skill set as time goes on. One of my favorite things?!?! The REBOUNDING! This team is back to Izzo ball--hard-nosed, tough and lots of heart.

**And a word to the media...please stop referring to us as "Sparty" (as in "and Sparty goes on a 10-2 run..."). We are the SPARTANS. "Sparty" is the name of the guy in the costume that frolicks along the sideline. Every MSU grad I know hates this. So stop it. Thanks!

2.) Missouri Tigers: My man, Phil Pressey, is BACK! I was slightly unsure about this season for this team with a new coach in Frank Haith. But their pre-season CBE Classic performance REALLY impressed me. Stifling defense and quick, skilled guards (veterans no less) really knocked their opponents back on their tails. It will be interesting to see what happens the rest of the season, but if that's how they start....I can't wait to see the finish.

3.) Syracuse Orange: I still love them....any team with a player named Fab Melo gets my vote. I just love the way they play--always tough, always physical and always with confidence. This season will be interesting to say the least--the Bernie Fine issue may or may not be distraction. I am still learning about the case--which is very different from the Penn State situation--and it's sad all around. But whatever the facts are, I pray they come out and justice is served the way it needs to be.

4.) Xavier Musketeers: I've been a fan of these guys for a long time as a friend (and former coworker) of mine is a Xavier grad. Once I started learning about them and watching them play, I jumped on the bandwagon. Gongaza and Butler get a lot of credit for re-defining a "mid-major" but I think X should as well. They consistently schedule tough non-conference games, they consistently win their conference and they always make a strong showing in the NCAA tourney. This particular team seems to have all the pieces--low post presence in seven-footer Kenny Frease, fantastic guard play from Mark Lyons, some young, fresh players that can provide a spark, and of course, a Player of the Year candidate in Tu Holloway. They have my favorite combination of vets and youth and a balanced attack. Their non-conference schedule is tough, as per usual, which should serve them well come tournament time.

OTHER TEAMS TO WATCH:

North Carolina Tar Heels: It's well-documented that I'm not a UNC fan, but I HAVE to respect their team. They have a ton of skill and frankly (though it hurts to admit it) I actually REALLY like Harrison Barnes. He's a fantastic player, but he also seems extremely humble and hard-working and just an all-around good kid.

Duke Blue Devils: See above. Same thing--I respect the heck out of Coach K. I think he's a class-act who's done it the right way start to finish and NEVER has compromised his standards to win. His team always plays hard and just plays good basketball, plain and simple. As a fan of the game, I'm usually going to tune in.

Almost the ENTIRE Big Ten: Say what you will, this conference is STACKED. Ohio State, Wisconsin, Michigan and Purdue are all tough, have great coaching and play hard every game. The conference season will be a rough one but I love the fact that there is so much competition.

Almost the Entire Big East: I randomly love this conference and really couldn't tell you why. Maybe because there are a lot of tough, physical teams, but I typically enjoy UConn, Georgetown, Pitt and Marquette...and of course, one of my favorites ever, Steve Lavin, even has me tuning in to St. John's.

There you have it! As you can see, I plan on watching a LOT of bball. I'm going to try and blog every day during this Big Ten/ACC Challenge...Enjoy the games!

For D-Roe

When Delvon Roe stepped onto the court for Michigan State 4 years ago, I’d already heard the hype. I’d heard he was injured his senior year of high school, so things might start slowly for him, but he was going to be big. Bigger than big. All of us were excited to how things would
unfold and no one was more excited than me.

After the graduation of Drew Neitzel, I needed a new “favorite” MSU player. Natually, I love all of them, but I always have one that rises slightly above the rest. The guy that wasn’t necessarily the star or top scorer, but the guy that (to me) embodied what a Spartan is all about: Heart, toughness, teamwork and a love of not just the game, but Michigan State. After hearing nothing but good things and as a former post player, I toyed with the idea of picking Roe for this coveted position (okay, not really “coveted”…but you get what I mean). And then my friend sent me a close-up picture of Roe’s Sparty tattoo. This guy was in it for life. And I was sold.

As the seasons past, it seemed like all I kept hearing was how Roe hurt his knee again—first his right, then his left, then his right….and on it went. I don’t remember many games where announcers weren’t talking about his latest surgery or procedure or what kind of brace he was wearing today. How he “wasn’t the player he was supposed to be for this Michigan State club.” No matter what happened, the poor kid couldn’t catch a break.

I also don’t remember ever hearing Roe complain. I don’t remember him sitting on the bench in street clothes or watching him on the court and thinking, “Wow, he looks hurt.”

What I DO remember is this: Delvon Roe never once—not ONCE—disappointed
me. I remember cheering for every rebound, every putback and every great pass he made. I remember how solid he was in every big game. I remember feeling like we, as
fans, could always count on him when we needed to. I remember thinking how unselfish he was with his teammates—and nothing illustrates this better than when he got undercut in
the Penn State game trying to get Draymond Green a triple-double. It was a nasty tackle, more likely to be found on a football field than a basketball court, and the kid jumped up, ran
over to Green and asked, “Did you get it?” I remember feeling better whenever he was on the floor.

I read the news of his retirement with a broken heart. Selfishly, I will miss his contributions on the court. Spartan basketball needs him. WE need him. But after reading his quotes and listening to pieces of the press conference, I find my heart breaks more for him. This is a young man with a love of the game, a love of his teammates and coaches and the rare awareness that what he has been able to do as a student-athlete makes him incredibly blessed. This is a young man who fought with everything he had against a body that betrayed him. This is a young man who put himself on the line daily to try and satisfy unknown faces in green and white just like me. This is a man that showed heart and toughness and teamwork and in doing so gave us Final Fours and Big Ten Championships. This is a man who showed what it truly means to be a Spartan.

So to Delvon Roe, I can only say THANK YOU. Thank you for your dedication, your heart, your passion and your love. Thank you for representing Spartan Nation with class and for teaching all of us what it means to be a student-athlete. Thank you, thank you,thank you. And most of all, thanks for that duck. ;)