For MSU basketball, the sweet 16 is almost on the schedule. It’s a rite of passage in springtime under Tom Izzo; as he’s 12-1 lifetime in the round of 32. MSU basketball has represented the Big Ten quite well lately, making the Sweet Sixteen in six of the last seven years.
However, this year is national title or nothing. Or at least Final Four or nothing. Being the preseason #2, then ranked #1 early in the year, the stakes are higher. You may see a #4 next to their name right now, but they are a de facto #1 seed.
After all EVERY SINGLE PERSON ALIVE has MSU basketball to win their bracket.
President Barack Obama, all five ESPN “experts”…the MSU basketball to win it all bandwagon is overflowing right now. After Florida, the true #1 overall seed, the Spartans have the second greatest odds of winning it all, according to most bookmakers. Pressure’s on!
How is MSU basketball going to reach the promised land? Well, Keith Appling needs to heal fast. We need some rapidly paced convalescence with that wrist on his shooting hand. Adreian Payne carried the team in round one. He was a MONSTER. He was to big time tourney performances what Amanda Bynes is to making poor social media decisions. In round two, Branden Dawson was the MSU basketball tour de force.
Appling will need to be that guy at some at point. State needs him. Denzel Valentine needs to make a really big shot like the three he hit versus Harvard down the stretch. Sparty Nation will be persistently biting their nails this NCAA Tournament until they see a complete team effort. They need all hands on deck to, all guns blazing, calling all cars, as the cliche says, to survive and advance. Like the other cliche says. Valentine, along with Dawson, will need to be the focal point next year.
Why not get ready for that role now by taking on more responsibility?
Michigan State did too much coasting in the first two games. Sparty would get ahead by about 15, maybe even close to 20 and then coast. Take the foot off the gas pedal. Then trouble crept in. Versus the Ivy-leaguers they even fell behind. It was reminiscent of when MSU basketball fell behind Utah in the second half of the second round game during the national title year of 2000.
That just won’t cut it versus Virginia. The defense was lacking in both tourney games, especially on the perimeter. If that continues versus the Virginia Cavaliers…then the couch burnings in the streets of East Lansing will begin much earlier than we all thought this season.
Let’s look at UVA. I guess it helps that they’re named the Cavs….since we all know team with that are REALLY BAD at basketball! LOL! Especially in the postseason.
From MLive, via Spartan Sports Page:
Virginia is back and playing as well as ever after recording its 30th win of the season with a convincing 78-60 victory over Memphis in the NCAA tournament’s Round of 32 in Raleigh, N.C., on Sunday. The No. 1 seed Cavaliers (30-6) didn’t look great in their opening NCAA tournament game Friday. a 70-59 win over No. 16 seed Coastal Carolina. But Virginia came roaring back with the decisive win over the No. 8 seed Tigers (24-10).
Sports Bank prediction: MSU Basketball 81, UVA 77
Paul M. Banks owns The Sports Bank.net, an affiliate of Fox Sports. An MBA and Fulbright scholar, he’s also a frequent commentator on national talk radio. The former NBC Chicago and Washington Times contributor has also been featured on the History Channel. President Obama follows him on Twitter (@paulmbanks)