MBB Big Ten Roundup 2/2 - Iowa, UI, Minn, MSU
Indiana topped #20 Minnesota, making Michigan's loss against the Hoosiers look not so horrendous. They come to Ann Arbor Feb 12th (which, btw, is same day as a home game for hockey against the Buckeyes). Minny was out of the game for most of it but for a fury of points in the last 3 minutes to bring it close. UM doesn't face them for quite some time and, hopefully, after a series of demoralizing Gopher losses that open the door for a W.
Without saying but, you know, I'm just saying...
MSU is currently trailing the Hawkeyes by 24 @ Iowa with under 16 mins and change remaining. State comes to UM March 5th for the season finale while Michigan is forced to head to Iowa City Feb 19th.
February 2nd, 2011 at 10:07 PM ^
Of course, there's really no must win game for a team with no expectations, but MUST BEAT SPARTY. Win March 5th and UM basketball can at least look in-state recruits in the eye and claim change is coming. Lose March 5th and the win in Spartyland becomes a fluke.
February 2nd, 2011 at 10:18 PM ^
MSU is not a "must win game" for Michigan. They already beat them once this year. MSU fans will cry "fluke" even if Michigan beats them three times this year. Michigan's upset of MSU was great for the program, and will pay dividends regardless of the outcome of the next game, and maybe a BTT game.
Better yet, the effects it may have on Sparty dissension could be even bigger than the direct effects it has already had on Michigan. There was a very large thread on RCMB where many fans were turning on Izzo. Best of all, their downward spiral appears to be accelerating.
Another win would make it even better, but the first one already helped accelerate the timetable of the pendulum swinging back toward Michigan.
February 2nd, 2011 at 10:18 PM ^
Losing to Indiana was still bad - since Al Nolen got hurt and Devoe Joseph got hurt, the Gophers don't have a B10 quality guard on the roster. They are done.
February 2nd, 2011 at 10:28 PM ^
MSU just got owned by a pretty bad Iowa team. It was never close, pretty pathetic.
February 2nd, 2011 at 11:01 PM ^
and the crap Lucious pulled to get off the team was the epitome of selfishness. they might be lucky to make the NIT this year (seriously). look at their schedule... they have to play @ WI, home against PSU, @OSU, home against Illinois, @ Minny, Home against Purdue, Home against Iowa and @ Michigan. currently 12-9 IIRC...
February 2nd, 2011 at 11:10 PM ^
What was he kicked off for? I never really heard a reason why.
February 3rd, 2011 at 10:25 AM ^
more or less gave izzo the metaphoric finger and continued to party in a manner later detectable multiple times over
February 2nd, 2011 at 11:25 PM ^
With the loss MSU is now 13-9 overall, and 5-5 in B10 play. They could easily be 11-11 and 3-7 in conference if not for a few furious rallies against Wisconsin and Indiana, respectively.
February 2nd, 2011 at 11:51 PM ^
Their OT win vs Northwestern.
February 2nd, 2011 at 11:55 PM ^
Several OT wins, including one against Indiana. They are weak in the front court, and other than Draymond Green and Kalin Lucas, they lack scoring clout. Still be surprised if they do not finish .500 in the big then. They'll dance if they do.
February 3rd, 2011 at 12:02 AM ^
Yeah, MSU is lucky to be 5-5 in the Big Ten, they are 3 buckets away from being 2-8 and out of the NIT. With their loss tonight, they can almost kiss the real tourney goodbye.
Has the preseason #2 team ever missed the tourney altogether?
February 3rd, 2011 at 12:29 AM ^
What surprised me about MSU being ranked #2 this year was that they were a late-game win over New Mexico State to start the tournament, last-second 3 from losing to Maryland in the second round, then squekers against Northern Iowa and Tenn. before losing to Butler. That wasn't an elite team last year but they got by with some luck and played a pretty easy schedule to the tournament. For pollsters to think that a middling team was suddenly going to play like world-beaters because they lucked through two weeks of the tournament was foolish, and I think the 13-9 record they have now is more indicative of what MSU is capable of this year.
February 3rd, 2011 at 1:30 AM ^
I respect the hell out of Izzo, but hate him because he always seems to end up in the Final Four regardless of how good his team actually is.
Agreed on the world-beaters part last year. Shocking to think they were ranked #2 in the preseason.
February 3rd, 2011 at 2:57 AM ^
of a fanbase MSU has. Half of them blame the officating after every loss, the other half wants izzo to be fired.
February 3rd, 2011 at 10:35 AM ^
There's no way MSU ends up in the tourney, their remaining schedule is just way too difficult. I mean their name and program can make up for 1 or 2 wins max, but that isn't even going to be enough this year