Here’s where I have this Michigan St. basketball team to finish where I have for my RedEye Big Ten season preview. They’re not going to be in the top three this season unfortunately. The Spartans lost too many key pieces and don’t have enough new weapons re-loaded yet.
While State probably won’t be a conference front-runner, they’ll come alive at conference tournament time and then own the first weekends of the NCAA Tournament. Just like with the franchise centered around agent 007 licensed to kill, you know how the script will play out each time.
And of course you come back for every edition to just see how they’ll figure it out. What mid-season adjustments, due to injuries and suspensions, will Tom Izzo have to make this winter? Izzo will inevitably shift his line-ups around and start different combinations early on, so who will eventually be his biggest guns?
Like Max Zorin, the villain played by Christopher Walken in “A View to a Kill” said:
“Intuitive improvisation is the secret of genius.”
Here’s my Big Ten projection and rationale for each team (we went with an outer space theme in this year’s piece, so that explains the “space status”)
It doesn’t matter where MSU is projected now; the Spartans will end up on top come March. Michigan State usually has an ugly loss or two early on, but they own the spring.
Quotable: “Last year we were the worst free-throw shooting team in captivity.” — Spartans coach Tom Izzo on his team’s foul-shooting issues
Space status: “Moonraker”
Michigan St. basketball is the James Bond of the Big Ten. They’re in the elite class, always in danger at the beginning and middle but always predictably triumphant in the end.
Yes, Michigan St. basketball loses to Wright State in December of 2000; wins the national title in April of 2000. You recall that embarrassing home loss to Texas Southern last year. They still went to the Final Four. Every movie, James Bond is suspended/knocked out/this close to being fired/caught by Blofeld and left to be executed.
Yet, every single time he still saves the world and gets the girl in the end. And just like Michigan St. basketball, acting with coolness, resolve and class along the way.
Paul M. Banks owns, operates and sometimes writes The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network. The website is also featured on News Now.
Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, currently contributes to the Chicago Tribune RedEye. He also appears regularly on numerous television and radio talk shows all across the country. Catch him Tuesdays on KOZN 1620 The Zone.
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