2012/2013 Spartan Odyssey

4 hours after that post, one of my 90' Georgia Pines went down...took out our power, internet, telephone and cable.

Ouch.

or...are you doing the right thing -calling FOUL- by implying biased reffing?  YAH!  I can go with that!

Erm. Soytanly! 

Snakes are 7-2...they've scrapped and scraped through every win and suffered two road losses.  Looking ahead, it'd be way easy to say MSU has one of the meanest schedules in the country...but...so does everybody else (except Bucky.)  #10 State's 9 remaining games feature two against #2 UM, hosting #1 IU, #15 Minnesota and #25 WIS; and on the road at #11 OSU.  Are you kidding me?  Dang, that's just crazy!  Trice is out (for at least the critical homer vs Minny tomorrow night); Harris and Dawson are injuries-waiting-to-happen; Nix is a self-centered unreliable jerk, Byrd continues to prove his hype an ugly joke; and Gauna & Costello & Valentine really need to step whatever they've got up - NOW!   

Midway...an American force of a couple of carriers (Payne & Appling) and a mishmash of spunky (despite their injuries) determined (with Nix & Byrd the exceptions) support forces...facing a vastly superior Japanese (6-of-9 games vs top-25 teams - none with the troubled status of MSU) threat over the next 33 days.  haha, I know, it's a pretty dorky analogy...

go green anyway! 

Considering we are mid way through the conference gauntlet, your metaphor might not be so off based at that!

Just remember this though, to use the modern vernacular, the Japanese got bitchslapped at Midway.  Tactical mistake on their part to think the fleet was completely out of place and out of touch. This would be what we might call as overconfidence in some such as IU or UM. Strong tactics and strategy can pull out the win even over a superior foe.

Any news on Appling?  Trice?

We won the game..... But there is just so much to fix.  At the end of the day we do not play with the intensity I have scene out the likes of IU, UM, and OSU.  We lounge around all night and with the game on the line we decide to play 5 minutes of good basketball.  It doesn't help we are still playing our JV players.  Byrd.... He is a liability everytime he is put in.  Last night he contributed back to back missed threes and a foul.  How we have one some of these games in beyond me.  Groan Green

crazy...just frkkn crazy. 
Minny looked stronger, tougher...better...all night long (except for a couple of times Nix threw them to the floor ).
Trice looked dazey sitting on the bench; Dawson was limping & gimping; Appling's shoulder pops out of the socket - pops back in on his way to the garage (if it doesn't bench him for a game or three, it WILL be way sore and certainly affect his dribbling/shooting); and Harris?...playing with back spasms? (I had back spasms so bad I collapsed in the middle of a frkkn shopping mall once)...cool as a cucumber, popping treys then driving inside?...dang.
crazy...just frkkn crazy.
This team is a cornered, crippled tiger surrounded by wolves. 
Last night, they proved even a wounded tiger can still deal death.
Let's keep hoping the bench cubs are inspired to higher purpose...
Gauna, Costello, Byrd and Valentine HAVE TO STEP UP! and play Spartan hoop - NOW! 
dammit.   

Give the drivers some rest, Coach...play the scrubs in Lafayette; take a road loss if necessary. 


 
  

It wasn't pretty.
It certainly was far from perfect.

But is was Spartans Will, again.

Send them some candy and flowers and get well soon cards.

The nasties are coming soon.

2/9 is a game at Purdue a breather? Maybe? Not.
2/12 UM
2/16 same question for a game at Nebraska? A breather? Not. 
2/19 IU
2/24 @ OSU
3/2 @ UM
Will there be anything left for the home stands versus Wisky and the Wildcats?
3/7 UW
3/10 NWU

Well, at least the EASY part of the schedule is over...


         

now it's over, 76. 

And now? it gets nasty. 

Izzo, in the PU postgame interview, said he was happy with the team...that they played good ball for 3 quarters (??? haha, good stuff.)  I agree...and I love being proven wrong (just when I was telling wifey, watching the game with me, what a slow lazy lug DNix is - the guy smoothly spins and slides down under for a dazzling bunny...and he repeated similar moves all night long; Dawson was awesome; Appling, Payne and Harris were rock solid; and benchers Valentine, Gauna, Costello & Byrd all put in valuable time...mebbe they can contribute some points now?)  Great effort by a banged-up walking MASH ward.  The kids are gelling, finally, and just in time.  I just hope they don't take any upjumps in rankings as seriously.

Massive hype game on Tuesday, hosting the "pretty boy jumpshooters" (IZZONE's term for them - respectfully disrespective...I love it) from Ann Arbor.  The blue dudes will be coming to the Brez pizzled to the max, having just lost at the Kohl along with another chance at #1...coming to prove they can win big games on the road.  We'll have to prove them wrong for the 4th time this season, eh?

Go Green! 

The Boyz are coming along....  Thank God!  I think we will be a team you do not want to tangle with come tourney time.  We could win the Tough Ten.  But that aside this is a CLASSIC Izzo Tourney Team.  We have more parts than a lego set when healthy.  We have never had a shooter like Harris since Respert put like 45+ on Michigan.  I am pleasently high on this team right now.  This team could be one of the best we have ever had.

Michigan's long climb back to respectability has certainly not been hurt by its recent domination of MSU...and this year the Skunk Bears have rightfully claimed their national due.  The "pretty boy jumpshooters" are (and have been for weeks) playing NC-calibre hoop and will provide our gelling Snakes their toughest test of the season on Tuesday (not discounting the @IU game)...this game's at our house...this game's for in-state marbles as well as national attention...a bigtime hype game between two top-10 teams.

Mebbe it's just insecure me, but, imo, State hasn't performed well against UM in bigtime hype games - regardless of what sport we're talking.  There are probably no two teams in the country who, while studiously ignoring each others' records to-date publically, know more about each others' strengths, weaknesses and potential...in other words, expect no surprises.

I've already asked wifey to consider visiting friends on Tuesday night...and to take Bubba (poor dog can easily sense my angst, drives me nuts trying to distract me from the game) with her.  btw, I'll be quaffing quarts of CTM's signature "V&V" (Vodka & Vodka) all night long...will be either the giddiest or the most miserable sot on the planet by 11pm Tuesday.

gargle green! 

I gotta disagree with you H2S on one thing. I didn't see Byrd's time on the floor against Purdue as all that valuable other than he ate minutes, 0 points 3 fouls and once again the announcers talked about his pure and pretty form on those bricks he clanged off the rim from outside the arc. I don't care how pretty his form is or the beautiful rotation on the ball or the majetic arch of the shot when he calls for the ball and clangs it as bad or worse than me. Hell, I'm 44 and way out of shape and I could clang it off the rim too.

Costello had better minutes by far by spending some time on DJ Byrd and frustrating him. If Tom wants to give up some hack a dope time, then I can see Russel on the floor but damn. Each 3 pointer he took was basically wide open and he couldn't use that pure form, beautiful rotation or majestic arch to do anything but sound a bell.

My ten-year-old son is even making fun of Russell Byrd now.  When he sees #0 come onto the court, he starts chuckling and asks, "How many bricks is he going to throw up today, dad?"  He even makes the high-pitched incoming bomb sound, punctuated by a explosion noise when one of Byrd shots goes up and then clangs harmlessly off the rim.  It's hilarious.

However, and I've made this point previously, I was wrong when Izzo continued to faithfully insert Austin Thornton into the lineup and allow him to give up easy baskets, foul relentlessly, and miss easy shots.  Thornton eventually turned into a productive, if not sensational, contributor.  If Izzo sees something in Byrd in practice that compels him continue to get Byrd on the floor, I am going to chuckle along with my son (maybe even make the air raid noises), but I am NOT going to complain.  In Izzo I trust.

Nix is another Izzo flower just beginning to blossom.

Izzo develops teams AND players and sometimes it is uber frustrating waiting for the gel to set. 

March cometh and Spartans Will.

And I without beer for tomorrow. Blargh!
(Don't ask...)    

I had the same thought on Byrd.  I B%tch the whole time he is on the floor.  I critique every step he makes, counting his bricks and fouls as they pile up.  But I did the same thing with Thorton, he drove me crazy.  But the kid turned out to be pretty dam important later in his career for Sparty (shame on me).  Me visiualizing a 10 year old making special noises when Bryd shoots did have me laughing alone at my desk. But T.I. is making almost $4 large calling the shots from the sidelines and doing a pretty fine job.  Where as tomorrow night the only shots I will be in charge of is whether its a pinky finger or ringer finger splash of Cran over my Vod (16oz Sparty Turvis Tumbler). 

Hats off to the Big Ten.  No question on how good and how deep our league is this year.  Every week we have a monster game on tap. Tomorrow's game was quoted as "Must See TV!".  I want a win tomorrow in the worst way!  Groan Green!

Best of luck Thursday..Fun when both teams are ranked and competitive....In all sports.

I dont see UofM winning, seeing that the Breslin is a tough place to play, but anything can happen I guess?!?!


HAIL!

lol...Byrd...dang, if the kid was hurt it'd be a lot easier to... NOT HATE HIM!!! ...

I'd feel a little bit better if he'd hurry up and have his "breakout game"...like...Tuesday? 

As long as Trice is still less than 100% and with the other nagging injuries, he has to put Byrd on the floor. I just wish he would get into his rythym soon. He does look nice and natural shooting from outside and his limited time on the floor last season was not terrible. It just does not seem to translate as well this year and it would be a lot better if we didn't have to wait until his senior year for him to finally grow into himself. Defenders lay off him lately outside the arc. Scouting will tell you he is just not hitting. If he could get that shot to fall a few times, it would pull defenders out to him and open the lane more for Appling to drive.

FWI Don - MSU V UM is the 9 o'clock tomorrow, Tuesday, the 12th of February 2013.

Anyone notice that the MSU board has been as quiet as ever?  Everyone must have gotten fed up with all the attempts of a certain member trying to peddle the infamous "Lawn Dobbers"!  If we can get to Atlanta I will certainly look up this tarnished member for a libation and sack of flags for the celebration.  We are leaving the calender open if the stars may somehow align.  But till then, we have a couple of wars to wage and giants to slay.  Groan Green!