Sparty at Bucknuts, Hoops - Open Thread
January 5th, 2019 at 12:08 PM ^
Go Team Meteor!
January 5th, 2019 at 12:12 PM ^
Saturn from behind the arc
January 5th, 2019 at 12:42 PM ^
you rang...?
January 5th, 2019 at 12:10 PM ^
I'm rather interested in seeing just how good BOTH of these teams are (or are not).
January 5th, 2019 at 12:13 PM ^
Sparty is pretty damn good this year, funny how they lose 2 guys that were early first rounders and got better. But man this is the classic Ohio’s state basketball team, they don’t do anything really good they just play hard
January 5th, 2019 at 7:16 PM ^
Plus they lost Ben Carter, who by ̶m̶a̶n̶y̶ Izzo's account was better than Jared Jackson.
January 5th, 2019 at 12:14 PM ^
MSU fans must be confused about who to cheer for.
January 5th, 2019 at 1:54 PM ^
How did they steal Purdue's uniforms and slap the spartie logo on?
January 5th, 2019 at 12:14 PM ^
Looks like Langford is still out with that leg injury for Sparty. Going to be tough to pull off a road win without perhaps their best player.
Ward has been playing well lately. Really hope he goes into his usual "swoon" against stiffer competition.
January 5th, 2019 at 12:33 PM ^
Sparty plays much slower on the road
January 5th, 2019 at 12:48 PM ^
Need more floor slap....
January 5th, 2019 at 7:27 PM ^
Ahh...the MSU bend-over-at-the-waist granny floor slap. The point of the floor slap is to show your commitment to getting into an athletic stance. Like this
January 5th, 2019 at 12:35 PM ^
Have to root for a Sparty to lose on this one.
January 5th, 2019 at 12:45 PM ^
Meteor game for certain. Like Iran v Iraq in the 80s. Who cares??
January 5th, 2019 at 12:47 PM ^
Is that Baylor?
Sidenote: The NBA on NBC music has me thinking I'm watching a big playoff game back in the 90s.
January 5th, 2019 at 12:53 PM ^
Jesus, Tom Izzo looks rough today
January 5th, 2019 at 7:30 PM ^
Jesus, Tom Izzo looks rough ̶t̶o̶d̶a̶y̶
There, I fixed it for you.
January 5th, 2019 at 1:01 PM ^
Full disclosure: that image is from Dylan Burkhardt and his informative podcast Moving Screen.
January 5th, 2019 at 12:59 PM ^
Gonna have to root for the Bucknuts in this one. I hate MSU with every ounce of my body and more. If someone burnt that place to the ground I wouldn’t even be upset.
January 5th, 2019 at 1:02 PM ^
is this you?
could describe numerous U of M fans today.
January 5th, 2019 at 1:30 PM ^
You seem oddly familiar. Just can’t place it......
January 5th, 2019 at 5:19 PM ^
It’s funny because I am this exact way with OSU.
January 5th, 2019 at 1:01 PM ^
Hate OSU but I really like the style they play. I think Holtmann is building something down there. Izzo clearly has no clue how to coach modern basketball. MSU just goes fast now for the sake of going fast, it gives them no advantage.
Take the ball out as fast as possible and pass it ahead or sprint it up the court to run the same ole sets. McGoin around three screens with Ward on the backside trying to seal in the post.
Then Izzo makes 4 excuses and gives 1 genuine compliment to cover up his whining.
Izzo "we cant turn it over so much" Well, Tommy, if you didn't force your players to play faster than needed maybe they would make better decisions.
January 5th, 2019 at 1:54 PM ^
Izzo seems to be bad at teaching players how to take care of the ball in general. I bet he doesn't drill them on pivoting and throwing proper chest passes like Beilein does.
January 5th, 2019 at 5:22 PM ^
I don't understand how we can talk trash about MSU's offense. Our defense is really good, and our offense is pretty average.
January 5th, 2019 at 1:01 PM ^
Yeah gotta root for OSU here. Best chance to win the B1G involves most home teams holding serve in games between contenders. Root for home teams in those games early on, always root for underdogs (Rutgers, Illinois, NW, PSU) and root for Michigan obviously.
January 5th, 2019 at 1:03 PM ^
Rooting for the home team is typically your best bet and always root for the underdog. I wouldnt put too much effort rooting for Illinois...they are awful.
January 5th, 2019 at 5:24 PM ^
I just can’t do it. I cannot ever root for OSU. I am from Ohio so this is too deep of a hatred since I grew up a Michigan fan.
January 5th, 2019 at 1:01 PM ^
For those that feel nauseous watching msu vs osu
January 5th, 2019 at 1:10 PM ^
Is it me, or should we beat these teams handily?
January 5th, 2019 at 1:15 PM ^
It’s you.
January 5th, 2019 at 1:24 PM ^
Ok. I think we roll em both.
January 5th, 2019 at 2:14 PM ^
We haven't rolled like our past 6 opponents.
On the road at both of these teams places will be hard, especially senior night at MSU
January 5th, 2019 at 2:43 PM ^
We don’t play at osu. We play home and gone with msu and Indiana. Those road games will be tough but if we can go 13-4 in the last 17 games that should guarantee a big ten regular season title
January 5th, 2019 at 1:28 PM ^
This is basketball. You cant look at one game and make any serious assumptions. I think we will beat both at home. The game at the Breslin will probably be a loss
January 5th, 2019 at 2:03 PM ^
Agreed. 2-1 in those three games is fine.
January 5th, 2019 at 2:08 PM ^
Give me 16-4 in th conference and I’ll be ecstatic and see how it all plays out.
January 5th, 2019 at 1:14 PM ^
Watching Wesson and Ward fight on the low block on both ends of the court ever possession is really something.... I feel like I’m watching a different era of basketball.
January 5th, 2019 at 1:15 PM ^
If we win the B1G this year it will be hard earned and well deserved. It will not be easy with the tough games in and out.
January 5th, 2019 at 1:25 PM ^
floor slapping noted by sparty
ward may be a very good player, but man i hate the faux-drama as he goes to the ground with an ohio guy he's pulling down under the basket. lays there like he's taken a kick to the head when in fact he had a little tumble that happens every single play in a football game or all day during wrestling matches. wussy.
January 5th, 2019 at 1:32 PM ^
That's kinda Wards move. It precipitated the famous Smiling Charles pic last year.
January 5th, 2019 at 1:59 PM ^
Dude I think you're underplaying what happened lol
January 5th, 2019 at 7:34 PM ^
Or maybe he hasn't yet recovered from his ankles injury
January 5th, 2019 at 1:30 PM ^
To me the OSU rivalry is basically just in football. In basketball I'll root for them against Sparty by default (unless an MSU win helps us out).
January 5th, 2019 at 1:31 PM ^
We matchup very well vs sparty this year. Their two best players are going to be matched up with our two best defenders. Simpson abused Winston last year on both sides. Winston is not an exceptional athlete which is where he struggles on D with a fast strong guard like Zavier. Ward is great at running the floor, so if we can get back, his back to the basket game doesn’t worry me too much. Ward is only 6’9 so Teske with his defensive ability and size advantage should create fits for Ward.
I don’t see them having the dogs to cover Poole, Iggy, or Matthews honestly.
January 5th, 2019 at 2:02 PM ^
Tillman and Ward are going to be tough covers for Iggy. Teske will take one of them, but the other is going to be undersized trying to guard to post.
But on the flip side, of you get Tillman or Ward on the perimeter guarding that may end up comical, like Ward trying to guard Wagner last year on the perimeter
January 5th, 2019 at 1:43 PM ^
Little Tommy sure is prone to tantrums, isn't he. Methinks he needs a timeout.
January 5th, 2019 at 1:44 PM ^
Pretty good game. As said before, root for upsets and for top teams to hold home court (or split)-- and Michigan to always win. The B1G is really deep this year. Even Rutger may finish not-last for the first time ever.
January 5th, 2019 at 1:47 PM ^
I think it is of our best interest that MSU loses. So I hope they go into 10 overtimes and MSU loses by 1 at the end.