Friday Noon. Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis. ESPN.
Here’s the place for those you who can be in front of a TV tomorrow afternoon to keep those of you stuck at a desk updated on how the game’s progressing.
The Gophers advanced out of the first round by beating Northwestern 66-53. The Daily Gopher says the keys were Lawrence Westbrook’s clutch second-half scoring (team-high 14 points) and limiting turnovers. Minnesota turned the ball over only 9 times in a 60-possession game; the TO% of 15.0% was only the fourth time they’ve posted a sub-20% mark since conference play began. The Gophers shot just 4-19 from beyond the arc, though.
Crashing the Dance had Minnesota pretty high on the bubble even before today’s win, so it doesn’t look like this game is a do-or-die proposition for them.
Coffee Talk: Who’s your Spartan today?
P.S. Kalin Lucas is on the final Wooden Award ballot. A nice honor for him–the only Big Ten guy on the list.
P.P.S. The Spartans Weblog clan made it to the second half of the MSU pep rally tonight. Highlights: Tom Izzo telling the crowd that Mark Hollis had ordered a Big Ten Championship ring for Ed Hightower. Mrs. SW getting her photo taken with Eric Snow (her all-time favorite non-Ishbia Spartan.). The Official Younger Son of the Spartans Weblog (age 5) wearing his free Izzone t-shirt (size: adult M) out of the rally.
Now that Pitt and UConn have both gone down IN THE FIRST ROUND of the Big East tournament, what’s the likelihood that Lousville doesn’t win? Wasn’t that one of the criteria for getting MSU a top seed? (Although, maybe this helps us just as much?)
I’m worried about all these upsets (Pitt, UConn, Oklahoma, Kansas). What happens to us tomorrow?
Hopefully we rock it out.
Interesting timing of the WSJ article, might really fire up the team,
especially Walton and Suton. As mentioned in the other thread, Free throw shooting may indeed be the key to a lot of our late victories but could be our achilles heel unless it is Lucas or Suton at the line. Rarely is Suton at the line at the end of the game but any “and 1″ points are valuable throughout.
Still the experience of having won several close games should really help
this team in one and done time. Look at Ohio State’s national football team, they won a lot of their games by a very narrow margin.
One really nice thing is that Raymar is getting stronger, you can see it in his play and psychologically a lot of the pressure is less directed on him alone offensively. He can really focus on defense, rebounding and leadership and let the offensive part of the game come to him. The freshmen are key and seem to be the loosest members of the team even though Roe is definitely amping it up by his recent interviews. IF either Allen or Summers can get out of their shooting slumps, we will be hard to beat.
I’m so glad Eric Devendorph decomitted to State. He wouldn’t have lasted 1 season with Izzo. Watching him last night running his mouth made me wonder why a hall of fame coach like Jim Boeheim would put up with his antics. The night before he was doing the same thing against Depaul. It really put a sour taste in my mouth after watching a fantastic game.
Chris, I always got the impression that he was “asked” to decommitt from state because of his attitude. Again, that’s mostly pure speculation, but that’s just the vibe i picked up along the way.
Oh, also another fun note. After yesterday’s “All potential #1 seeds must lose” day, MSU’s RPI is up to 4 according to CBS.Sportlines.Com’s RPI. Also verified by Crashing The Dance’s RPI:
http://www.crashingthedance.com/profiles/profile164.shtml
I’m still not convinced that Pitt is the real deal. If memory serves we beat basically this same team last year in the tournament. I know Blair and their other younger players have probably gotten better, but we’ve seen consistent improvement from both Lucas and Suton, so I think we’d still have an edge in the rematch. They couldn’t outmuscle us last year so I doubt they’d be able to this year. Granted, we don’t have Neitzel’s outside shooting but I’d say our improvement in other areas makes it a wash.
They didn’t really play anybody in the non conference schedule and their Big East schedule included seven games against teams with efficiency margins as bad as or worst than Iowa’s. They got Depaul, who is worse than Indiana, twice. They only played Louisville and Villanova once. The two UConn wins are impressive but they really had as soft Big East schedule as could be. I would not mind being in their bracket if they get a one seed – and assuming Lawson is at full strength would prefer playing them to UNC by far.
Man, Izzo cries about the refs more than anyone EVER. You can deny it, but in your heart you know it’s true.
We had a lot of upsets working in our favor yesterday. Now it’s time for us to take control of our own destiny. We can’t underestimate the Gophers. Their aren’t any free wins against the top 8, but the bracket seems to shape up nicely for us. Take care of business, boys.
I think Pitt is way overrated. Everyone is salivating over their “toughness” but that’s something every Big 10 team is familiar with. Pitt better hope MSU, Purdue and Wisconsin are far away from them on the brackets, because these teams will give them fits.
The return of Summerstime baby! I say he goes off for 18 today.
I’ll take Kalin Lucas for my Spartan today.
does anyone have a radio link for the game please?
Not thrilled with our rebounding so far.
Marquise Gray is playing very well for us right now.
Morgan has 2 fouls already according to what I’m seeing on the Sports Illustrated box score. Gray looks to be having a good game, Suton so far is invisible other than one personal foul. They usually don’t track rebounds on the live box score though.
Mark – my preferred live score is at http://msuspartans.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/msu-m-baskbl-body.html – look on the right middle side for GT
Atrocious rebounding. Wake up guys!
listen online at WJR 760 out of Detroit
http://www.wjr.net/
3: Forget Devendouche’s antics on the court — you guys certainly don’t need a guy who punches a woman in the face on the team. The dude is a grade A piece of crap.
Up 3 despite most of the starters doing nothing offensively. I seriously doubt they’ll do nothing in the 2nd half too, so I stand by my assumption yesterday that this will be a double digit win.
I’m not really bothered by the fouls, less minutes on the starters.
Suton has not been playing particularly well so far. Hopefully he’ll start playing harder down the stretch.
Suton just showed up with a nice three.
Great win…
Numerous weapons. So many options entering the postseason.
w00t!
Digger Phelps is a moron. He is just going to town ripping MSU and the Big Ten.
You’re able to make statements while ignoring the facts… as long as you color-match your highlighter and tie.
Who do we have a better shot at beating? OSU or Wisconsin? I’m thinking Wisconsin.
Did anyone see this? I watched the game (with the UNC/VaTech audio, unfortunately) and did not see any of this.
From ESPN Pat Forde :
“Tom Izzo met some fiery resistence from backup center Marquise Gray when he removed the 6-foot-8, 235-pounder from the lineup midway through the second half. Gray has provided a strong inside lift from low post, scoring from the left block several times, and apparently the senior thought he should remain in the game.
Gray had several words with Izzo as assistant Dwayne Stephens and several Spartans attempted to calm Gray down. Izzo went back down the bench a couple of times to talk to Gray during the next couple of possessions and everything appeared kosher — but as of the 7:20 mark of the second half, Gray had not returned to the game. “
It didn’t look that bad. It seemed like this: Izzo chews out ‘Quise for something. ‘Quise argues back about the situation on the court. Izzo tells him to sit down. Later, Izzo goes over to him and talks to him about the situation.
By the way Digger Phelps can stick it where the sun don’t shine. Guy is still bitter over getting his butt kicked by Magic Johnson 30 years ago.
1st Game Shooting percentage Stats for the Tournaments:
MSU 47%
Conn 40%
NC 44%
Kansas 40%
Villanova 42%
OK 48%
Pitt 45%
Memphis 39%
Digger is totally right – MSU’s offense is awful and they have no chance of winning games like some of the other top teams out there.
Credit where it is due – I couldn’t watch the game but Allen (who has taken some hits here) appears to have had a decent game from the stats. Gray appears to have had the stat line of the night if there’s not a mistake on the official MSU men’s basketball website box score – 6 rebounds and 11 points in 6 minutes of action. Somehow I think he played more than 6 minutes to get those stats.
Ohio State it is.
Ohio State has more talent than Wisconsin, but you’re less likely to have someone suffer a Joe Krabbenhoft dirty play-induced injury by not playing Wisconsin.
And did Jim Delaney bone Digger’s wife or daughter or something? The ripping of the Big Ten is getting really old. The conference proved it on the court in the out of conference season — maybe no one is as good as a North Carolina in the conference this year, but it’s not exactly a pile of dreck, and it’s definitely deep with pretty good teams. Or did he forget Michigan, the seven seed in the Big Ten, going to UConn and playing tight the whole game just a few weeks ago, nevermind the 8 seed beating the Big East champ on a neutral court back in December?
And the conference isn’t going away either. We replaced Dan Monson, Tommy Amaker and Mike Davis with Tubby Smith, John Beilein and Tom Crean. This conference is going to be a beast within a couple of years.
Digger even has an adverse effect of those around him when he’s in the studio. Did anyone notice that before the game Hubert was saying that MSU has a chance at the final four and even the national championship. Then later when Digger was there he said they was a good chance they would lose in the first two rounds.
In general, and this has nothing to do with MSU specifically, it amazes me that someones entire job can be to analyze one sport and they still can only come up with misleading casual observation crap. For some reason most of these mainstream characters are involved in college basketball (such as vital and digger)
Oh well, at least we have these blogs to read.
ESPN, make the right choice and go with a winner: replace Digger with Jud Heathcote.
What’s wrong with Digger? Ripping BigTen with stupid comments such as slow-play and low-scoring deficient league? Not a chance for msu’s 1 seed, no more discussion? He was just disgusted even talking about a possibility of msu’s getting 1 seed.
Wonder what he would say if BigTen performs well in the tournament.
Can someone record his comments regarding bigten before and after the ncaa tournament and post it on youtube? Can’t believe how arrogant a commentator can become.
mk, don’t forget that all 8 Big 10 teams will lose in the first round.
It does get tiring to hear people like Digger rip the Spartans and the Big Ten. Since 1999 there have been 9 Big Ten teams in the Final Four but they continue to say that the conference under performs. Oh well, let’s hope that the Spartans can shut them all up….
The good news is, one bit of bracket advice I’ve learned over the past dozen years is to always ride the teams the talking heads think shouldn’t be in. Sure, occasionally they’re right, but more often than not the “no respect” card is good for one win at least. It’s almost too bad Billy Packer retired; the only things more certain than a bet on whoever his annual Selection Sunday rant is directed at are death and taxes. On that basis, I feel pretty confident predicting a good showing for the Big Ten.
“Wonder what he would say if BigTen performs well in the tournament.”
Maybe he’ll refuse to talk about MSU ever again?
As I said in another persona, Digger’s problem is that he’s inhaled too much of the hairspray he uses to cement down that combover.