MSU Hoops - tough ending schedule?

Submitted by the Bray on

By now, most have probably heard of Tom Izzo's end-of-season remarks regarding his team (Why so soon, season's not over for everyone!).  He complained without complaining about injuries and the tough ending stretch his team played.  He said that 14 of their last 18 opponents were NCAA tournament teams.  That does sound hard, but I thought I'd compare that to other top teams in the Big Ten.

MSU - 14 of 18.  18's a very arbitrary end point though, wonder why he picked that.  Oh, because games 19, 20, 21, and 22 (going backwards) were against non tourney teams.  So yeah, 14 of 18.  Or 14 of 22.  Fun with numbers!

Indiana - 14 of last 17.  And they advanced farther in the tournament despite this "tougher" schedule end.  (edit - they advcanced just as far, not farther.  Both lost in Sweet 16).

Ohio State - 13 of last 16 and 14 of last 18.  Also advanced farther.

Michigan - 13 of last 17.  16 of last 22.  If Michigan wins on Saturday, that'll improve to 15 of last 19 and 18 of last 24.  Obviously advanced farther.

Wisconsin - 12 of last 17.

 

So while 14 of 18 certainly sounds difficult, it definitely didn't handicap MSU's season.  In fact, it was roughly equal to three other B10 contenders and all four of those teams were slightly more difficult than Wisconsin's.  Only Wisconsin was knocked out quicker than MSU, the other three teams advanced past MSU. 

But hey, whatever helps Izzo sleep at night!

NFG

April 3rd, 2013 at 10:01 AM ^

See him pandering and manipulating the topic of Payne possibly leaving? Usually I like the guy off the court, but that was pathetic.

Chester Cheetah

April 3rd, 2013 at 10:04 AM ^

I can't wait until he is gone from MSU.  A coach like Izzo is very rare and I certainly don't see them continuing the success he has shown them.  Then they won't be a basketball or football school.  But I guess if you ask tRCMB they'll say they are a big-time football program and last year they just had a bad year.

Trebor

April 3rd, 2013 at 10:07 AM ^

Indiana didn't advance farther, they advanced just as far - they lost in the Sweet 16 just like MSU, and lost to a lower seeded team.

taistreetsmyhero

April 3rd, 2013 at 10:18 AM ^

"Why would you write 13/17 for Michigan and those other teams? Why not write 13/18 to make it a fair comparison? Too scared to admit MSU had a tougher end schedule than scUM???????"

Indiana Blue

April 3rd, 2013 at 10:24 AM ^

We got totally screwed with the schedule having to play every good B1G team on the road first before any rematch at home.  And even with that, blowing the PSU game and FT's against IU was the difference between Michigan being undisputed B1G Champions and being 5th in the league.

I think the NCAA tourney has shown just how pathetic the B1G refs are.  They don't call fouls on flops ... this ruins Tom Crean's coaching strategy and this has allowed Michigan ( a team that doesn't foul) to play basketball at full strength.  Remember McGary only played 8 minutes against IU at home because he got called for fouling "princess Zeller" ... god, that flop he did sprawling out on the floor after a bump was simply pathetic!

Go Blue!

Perkis-Size Me

April 3rd, 2013 at 10:44 AM ^

Sparty is going to bitch and whine about everything that doesn't get spoon-fed to them. Then when Michigan does well, its a never-ending barrage of excuses about how we got off easy, our opponents just choked, but we still suck. Life isn't fair, we should be in your place, blah blah blah.



They never seem to realize that as much as they're trying to shed the little brother image from their school, they throw it upon themselves over and over.

Michael Scarn

April 3rd, 2013 at 10:49 AM ^

Why is a coach whose season ended the Friday before having a press conference the following Tuesday?  Just so people can ask him what he thinks about Michigan and he can say "I respect John Beilein, but I hate Michigan."  I know of no other coach in college who can be such a petulant child, especially his in game tantrums, and be treated like he's the bastion of what college coaches should be.  Is he a great coach?  Sure.  But let's drop the whole "he's so likeable" act.  

kehnonymous

April 3rd, 2013 at 10:56 AM ^

Come on, y'all.

Tom Izzo whines about stuff?  In other news, the sun rose in the east.  We are in the Final Four and MSU isn't one of the teams we could be playing, so why talk about them?

If the situation were reversed and Beilein was discussing how injuries and stuff curtailed our season it's be a 500-post thread on RCMB.  So... let's not be like them guys.

ijohnb

April 3rd, 2013 at 11:03 AM ^

with you, but it is bothersome how transparently immature this act was and how not one member of the local media sees it for what it is.  It is being reported like there is this "tradition" of a season ending press conference when it is seriously just a blatant attempt to detract from Michigan's acheivement.  And commentary on Payne and Harris going pro?  Um, Payne is a mid to late second rounder if he is lucky and Harris likely would not get drafted.  That entire "to-go-not-to-go" saga is contrived.  Neither of them are going.  I know it should be ignored, but the local media is so spartan brainwashed, with regard to both Izzo and Dantonio, that it is actually really bizarre at times.

ClearEyesFullHart

April 3rd, 2013 at 11:00 AM ^

And as hard as I've been grinding the spartans at work...

Cant we put Izzo in the Drew Sharp/Mike Valenti category?  I really dont need to know when the douchebag has a loose stool...

MGlobules

April 3rd, 2013 at 12:15 PM ^

with so much blood in their eyes--tend to fail to note they've simply been passed. Four M wins in six tilts between the teams may not say everything, but it says a lot. Yes, the played well in East Lansing, and yes they played us close at home, but that doesn't mean they were the better team, especially not at year's end where--as MSU always wants to tell you--it really matters.

What makes me happiest about Beilein's success, meanwhile, is that so many people said his style wasn't tough enough for the B1G. On the contrary, our freshmen kept growing, and what we've got now has served us well in and out of conference. Thirty wins don't lie.  

Izzo and whining, meanwhile, have long been a thing. 

samdrussBLUE

April 3rd, 2013 at 1:15 PM ^

Kind of serious question, but I think it is further in this case.  However, I agree with your general conclusion that Izzo is whining about something that virtually every team had to endure.  Tough noogies

jcouz

April 3rd, 2013 at 1:41 PM ^

Sparty fans are going to own a lot of different T-shirts before this tournament is over: SDSU, VCU, Kansas, Florida, Syracuse, and Louisville.  Way to keep the economy going Sparty.  I can't imagine going out and buying gear for other schools to root against Sparty.  I guess that's because I was the first born son.  Maybe that is why.