'09-'10 MSU Basketball

[JayVee7777]

I told SV he should've done the Wisconsin Game Thread before he left. Now the loss and the Kalin injury rest completely on my shoulders...

[monkeynuts]

Major bummer of a game last night - but thank god it sounds like Lucas is going to be ok.

Nonetheless, I'm pretty disappointed in Roe's offensive abilities thus far. We really need an interior guy to step up and be a consistent threat down low, and he just has not gotten it done. I still love him for his work ethic and other reasons (seems to be much better at free throws), but we need him to be a better offensive player.

[SpartanValor]

Originally Posted by JayVee7777

I told SV he should've done the Wisconsin Game Thread before he left. Now the loss and the Kalin injury rest completely on my shoulders...

SV's game threads: 9-0, 3 game conference lead.

JayVee's game threads: 0-1, 20 point loss, lose the BTPOTY to injury, and our lead is down to 2 games.




I'm 13 hours ahead of y'all, but maybe I should get back to doing the game threads

[JayVee7777]

From Assembly Hall in Champaign, Illinois

Two of the Top Teams in the Big Ten

(19-4)(9-1) @ (15-8)(7-3)


Your Defending Big Ten Champion Michigan State Spartans

AT THE

Illinois Fighting Illini

7 Time Final Four Participant:

GAME 24

Location: Assembly Hall, Champaign, Illinois
Date: Saturday, February 6th, 2010
Time: 9:00pm EST

Television Broadcast Provided by:
ESPN


Radio Broadcast Provided by:

www.spartansportsnetwork.com

Your Starting Five:

Who knows at this point?


Big Ten Standings:

TEAM            CONF	OVR
Michigan State 	9-1 	19-4
Ohio State 	7-3 	17-6
Purdue       	7-3 	19-3
Wisconsin 	7-3 	17-5
Illinois 	7-3 	15-8
Minnesota 	4-5 	13-8
Northwestern 	4-6 	15-7
Michigan 	4-6 	11-11
Indiana 	3-6 	9-12
Iowa      	2-8 	8-15
Penn State 	0-10 	8-14

[JayVee7777]

Bruce Weber and Tom Izzo will hold a free-throw contest for Coaches vs. Cancer - ESPN Chicago

Hours before Illinois and Michigan State take the court for Saturday night's Big Ten showdown on ESPN, the coaches of the two teams plan to provide a bit of pregame intrigue.

Illinois coach Bruce Weber has challenged Michigan State coach Tom Izzo to a free-throw contest immediately following ESPN's live broadcast of College GameDay, which rolls into Champaign on Saturday morning. Izzo accepted Weber's challenge, which will consist of 10 free throws for each coach. The losing coach promises to raise a minimum of $5,000 per missed shot through appearances for the Coaches vs. Cancer charity.

"The ESPN broadcast allows Tom and I a great opportunity to show our passion for Coaches vs. Cancer fundraising as well as give people a sense of the rewarding friendships that exist within the coaching community," Weber said on FightingIllini.com. "This should put an exclamation point on the College GameDay event for Fighting Illini fans and put the spotlight on Coaches vs. Cancer once again."

Izzo, who regularly practices shooting free throws, is equally excited about the challenge.

"When Bruce asked me to participate, I said I'll do whatever you want me to do," Izzo said. "We're going to have a great time competing against each other, plus educate people about our shared commitment to the fight against cancer. It's something Bruce and I both believe in and this is a great way to let people know how much the cause matters to us."

Weber and Izzo are both past winners of the Coaches vs. Cancer Champion Award, which honors coaches who put in extra effort to raise money for the cause.

[monkeynuts]

WTF was up with the Orange Crush overwhelmingly cheering when Reece David said Lucas probably won't play tonight because he was injured (and Reece then telling them to stop cheering an injury)? Not saying other student sections wouldn't do the same, but it made them look like huge asses on national TV.

[JayVee7777]

Yeah, I watched that. Did you see the sign that said simply "Michigan State is a bad basketball team"?

How creative...

[Edman85]

Originally Posted by JayVee7777

Yeah, I watched that. Did you see the sign that said simply "Michigan State is a bad basketball team"?

How creative...

I think it's clever in a very dry way...

[JayVee7777]

If the intense understatement of obvious falsities is your thing.

[lionstigersand...]

Originally Posted by Edman85

I think it's clever in a very dry way...

I would have really liked a "Man, that Michigan State is so phony"...

[Edman85]

Originally Posted by JayVee7777

If the intense understatement of obvious falsities is your thing.

Well, obviously "sucks" is overdone, so that's what they are going for.

Meanwhile, it was written by a fan of a team tied for second in the conference who may very well be an underdog in the rest of their games...

[JayVee7777]

Is there any more visually offensive color than convict orange? I mean Texas' is bad, Tennessee's is worse, but Illinois'? Ouch...

[hardysf]

Wasnt able to catch the izzo - webber shootout. Who won?

[RipHam23232]

Originally Posted by hardysf

Wasnt able to catch the izzo - webber shootout. Who won?

Izzo.

Seems to me Dick Vitale has a rooting interest in the Illini tonight.

[ScrubBeaterUpper]

Originally Posted by RipHam23232

Izzo.

Seems to me Dick Vitale has a rooting interest in the Illini tonight.

I sense he and Izzo do not like each other. Dickie V last year said MSU had zero right to a #1 seed (before they lost in the Big 10 Tourney) and Izzo said was very "mad" aboout it.

Vitale needs to go away.

[RipHam23232]

Vitale also couldn't help but show his ACC bias with the "North Carolina thought they had him, and then they didn't" shot at Delvon.

[sportz4life]

Originally Posted by RipHam23232

Vitale also couldn't help but show his ACC bias with the "North Carolina thought they had him, and then they didn't" shot at Delvon.

he's been insufferable to listen too..just horrible..

[EatEmUpTigers711]

I've got the game on very low volume just because of Vitale. Most of the sound is coming from me watching UFC 109 on the computer.

[ScrubBeaterUpper]

Illinois is going to be very good next year.

Great class coming in

[sportz4life]

Originally Posted by ScrubBeaterUpper

Illinois is going to be very good next year.

Great class coming in

#7..which is 2 spots behind MSU's #5 class and they still may add another high end player..

[EatEmUpTigers711]

Summers just knocked down a huge 3. Still in it with about 17 seconds left.

[ScrubBeaterUpper]

Originally Posted by sportz4life

#7..which is 2 spots behind MSU's #5 class and they still may add another high end player..

McCamey,Tisdale,Mike Davis,Richardson,Paul all coming back and adding Jereme Richmond plus two other high 4* guys.

Top 15 team.

[EatEmUpTigers711]

Loss....Threw up another three but this one was highly contested. Should have set it up better.

[sportz4life]

Originally Posted by ScrubBeaterUpper

McCamey,Tisdale,Mike Davis,Richardson,Paul all coming back and adding Jereme Richmond plus two other high 4* guys.

Top 15 team.

McCamey could go to the league, no frontcout players of note..good squad, good coach..Tisdale is a mirage of a player cmon..

Illinois will be good, but there are a lot of things to be proven.

[JayVee7777]

I'm done with the game threads. I don't care who takes over.

[lionstigersand...]

Korie Lucious...Ouch.

[sportz4life]

Originally Posted by lionstigersand...

Korie Lucious...Ouch.

Izzo now has his circumstance that allows him to circle the wagoms..he thrives on this adversity..perfection makes him nervous..this will end up being a positive.

[lionstigersand...]

Originally Posted by sportz4life

Izzo now has his circumstance that allows him to circle the wagoms..he thrives on this adversity..perfection makes him nervous..this will end up being a positive.

Guess we'll see Tuesday. I know this, I wish the Boilers had a game this weekend.

[sportz4life]

Originally Posted by lionstigersand...

Guess we'll see Tuesday. I know this, I wish the Boilers had a game this weekend.

7 games to go, The Purdue game doesn't concern me..I always like to win the B10, but how we play in March is what I always emphasize.

[EatEmUpTigers711]

Originally Posted by JayVee7777

I'm done with the game threads. I don't care who takes over.

Haha, don't take it so hard brother.

With Kalin out, and playing in Champaign, I already had a feeling like we could be in trouble.

[SpartanValor]

Originally Posted by JayVee7777

I'm done with the game threads. I don't care who takes over.

Don't worry, I got your back .

[SpartanValor]

From the Breslin Center, in East Lansing, Michigan

Bringin Back the Magic

@

(19-3)(7-3) @ (19-5)(9-2)

Purdue Boilermakers

AT
Your Defending Big Ten Champion
Michigan State Spartans

7 Time Final Four Participant:

GAME 25

Location: Breslin Center, East Lansing, Michigan
Date: Tuesday, February 9th, 2009
Time: 9:00pm EST

Television Broadcast Provided by:
ESPN


Radio Broadcast Provided by:

www.spartansportsnetwork.com

Your Starting Five:



#1 PG Kalin Lucas (Jr)

#3 SG Chris Allen (Jr)

#15 SF Durrell Summers (Jr)

#2 PF Raymar Morgan (Sr)

#41 C Garrick Sherman (Fr)


Purdue Boilermakers vs. Michigan State Spartans - Preview - February 09, 2010 - ESPN

What once looked like a one-team runaway in the Big Ten has turned into a five-team fight to the finish, and Michigan State's status as frontrunner seems in jeopardy as long as Kalin Lucas is out.

Purdue would like to see the reigning conference player of the year miss at least one more game.

Lucas' sprained ankle has him questionable for the No. 10 Spartans' Tuesday night clash with sixth-ranked Purdue, which looks to stay in the Big Ten race with a sixth straight win by snapping a nine-game losing streak at the Breslin Center.

Michigan State (19-5, 9-2) got off to its best league start ever by winning its first nine games, but it didn't just lose a game when it fell 67-49 last Tuesday at then-No. 16 Wisconsin -- it also lost Lucas.

The junior guard suffered a sprained ankle midway through the second half that kept him out of Saturday's visit to Champaign, and though his teammates played better, they couldn't pull out a win without their top scorer and playmaker. Draymond Green scored 17 points and grabbed 16 rebounds, but Illinois shot 52.5 percent and forced 18 Spartan turnovers in pulling out a 78-73 win.

"To be a championship team, we can't turn the ball over like that," Green said. "We know that."

Michigan State held a three-game conference lead at the end of January, but the two losses combined with winning streaks from Wisconsin, Ohio State, Illinois and Purdue (19-3, 7-3) have all four teams within 1 1/2 games of the Spartans' spot at the top.

Lucas' status may well determine if Michigan State can extend its 18-game home winning streak and avoid its first three-game losing streak since a four-game slide from Jan. 27-Feb. 7, 2007. Coach Tom Izzo is still concerned how even a minor sprain might limit his quick floor leader.

"It is completely up in the air, still," Izzo said of Lucas' status for Tuesday. "I think he feels more like he's going to be able to play some. ... He's getting treatments almost all day long in between classes. It's improving."

Purdue would love it if Lucas is unable to go. Lucas has averaged 17.8 points in four career games against the Boilermakers, his highest average against any Big Ten opponent.

He scored a game-high 21 points in a 62-51 win over Purdue on March 8, Michigan State's ninth straight in the series in East Lansing. The Boilermakers have lost by an average of 11.1 points since their last victory at the Breslin Center, 99-96 on March 1, 1998.

Purdue, however, has reason to be confident heading into this meeting. Matt Painter's team has won five straight since a three-game losing streak.

As usual, E'Twaun Moore, JaJuan Johnson and Robbie Hummel have done the bulk of the scoring, but it's been Johnson who has been Purdue's best player during the winning streak. The junior forward has averaged a team-high 18.6 points in that stretch, and he had 21 to go along with nine rebounds and four blocks in a tight 78-75 win at Indiana on Thursday.

The Boilermakers are 18-0 when Johnson scores eight points or more.

"Anytime it's a rivalry game, you definitely stay focused," said Moore, who had 14 points but shot 5 of 16 against the Hoosiers. "We definitely weren't looking ahead. We knew it was going to be a hostile environment. We knew it was going to be a tough game."

Moore has scored 12 points in each of his two career visits to East Lansing while Johnson has averaged 7.0.

[Edman85]

Huge game for both teams tonight, trying to remain in the #1 seed discussion.

[RipHam23232]

Was going to attend this game until the 9:00 start/forecasted weather talked me out of it. Is it confirmed that Kalin is playing tonight?

[Elevate]

I really hope Lucas is playing tonight...

[JayVee7777]

Originally Posted by RipHam23232

Was going to attend this game until the 9:00 start/forecasted weather talked me out of it. Is it confirmed that Kalin is playing tonight?

You seriously aren't going because of snow? If I was within a 3 hour drive of Lansing, I'd ask for your ticket.

Lucas said on Saturday that he's definitely going to play, but who knows how he feels now. Izzo said that he'll probably play a little bit, but he can't really cut or make any of his trademark moves, so I don't really know...

[JayVee7777]

Saddle Up: In search of Kalin - College Basketball Nation Blog - ESPN

No. 6 Purdue at No. 10 Michigan State, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN:

Kalin Lucas picked a bad time to be injured.

OK, obviously Lucas didn't decide to be injured. Obviously, he'd prefer to be on the floor at all times. But say the Ghost of Ankle Injuries Future visited Lucas in his sleep one night in October (hey, it could happen -- haven't you ever seen "A Muppet Christmas Carol"?) and told him he would have one ankle sprain this year, and that he could point to the Spartans' schedule and decide when it would be, I'm betting he wouldn't have picked this stretch of the Big Ten season.

A Lucas-less Michigan State team was forced to into an orange-colored cauldron on Saturday. Now the Spartans are staring down a crucial matchup with Big Ten rival Purdue. They're also looking at a potential three-game losing streak and a loss of their solo hold on the Big Ten's top spot.

It's not that Michigan State can't beat Purdue without Lucas, whose status will be a game-time decision. The Spartans are at home, which is always nice; heck, Indiana almost beat Purdue on the Hoosiers' home floor last week. And Michigan State showed some things without Lucas in their loss to the Illini -- namely, that they can still score, that they have decent, untapped depth and that Draymond Green is more versatile than you think. And Purdue doesn't exactly wow you with its guard play, at least not at the point guard spot, the one major hole in the Boilermakers' lineup.

But it will be tough if he's not able to play. The Spartans committed 20 turnovers at Illinois on Saturday, and it was obvious why: Kalin Lucas wasn't on the floor. Without him, the Spartans still got out in transition, but in the half court they frequently looked lost, settling on long jump shots from guards Chris Allen and Durrell Summers. When he's on the floor, Lucas gets a majority of the Spartans' possessions, and he's efficient with them. When he's not there, the Spartans are left to score by committee.

It won't help that the Boilermakers, after a three-game losing streak toward the beginning of the conference season, are beginning to hit their stride. Purdue has rattled off five straight wins -- including a win at Illinois and a tight home victory over Wisconsin -- and have looked impressive in doing so.

Purdue isn't a statistical powerhouse. Their defense is stalwart but not elite, and their offense overwhelms you with its efficiency. They're just sort of good at everything. They're smart shot selectors. They never turn the ball over. They force opponents into bad looks. They clean up their defensive boards. It's pretty simple stuff.

With or without Lucas, the Spartans have a chance to win if they force Purdue into outside shots. Again: It's simple, but true. The Boilermakers are not a good 3-point shooting team -- at 31.6 percent, they rank in the high 200's in the country in 3-point percentage -- nor is their offensive rebounding particularly impressive.

This is key. If Izzo can get his defenders to sink in a zone, make Purdue launch a few more 3s than Matt Painter would like, the Spartans should be able to turn long rebounds into transition layups. On the other hand, if Purdue is scoring in the paint, it's doubtful the Spartans will be able to hold onto the ball long enough against Purdue's frantic, turnover-inducing, man defense to stay afloat.

[RipHam23232]

Originally Posted by JayVee7777

You seriously aren't going because of snow? If I was within a 3 hour drive of Lansing, I'd ask for your ticket.

Lucas said on Saturday that he's definitely going to play, but who knows how he feels now. Izzo said that he'll probably play a little bit, but he can't really cut or make any of his trademark moves, so I don't really know...

The snow just plays into it. I'm housesitting so I would need to come back tonight, coupled with the snow and a lot to do in the morning, it just wasn't for the best. The tickets didn't go wasted though, dont worry.

Lucas just checked in.

[monkeynuts]

I LOVE these uniforms tonight! Wow.

[RipHam23232]

Purdue shooting very well so far. State finds themselves down with some adjustments to make.