53 DAYS!

Lotsa catching up to do.  Here goes:

• LSJ Blogs: Hey, Joe: Florida-MSU in Jersey.  YES.  The most logical location is the new Prudential Arena in Newark, but Rexrode thinks it may be in Atlantic City.  I thought that Boardwalk Hall would be too small for something like this, but apparently it's hosting the 2010 A-10 Tournament.  The only other venue in A.C. that's large enough is the arena at Caesars Palace, but I think the NCAA may have a qualm or two about that.
  
  The B10 non-con schedules seem to be trickling in.  It shouldn't be long until we release ours in full.
• Rivals.com College Basketball - Who is the most overrated player in the nation?  Raymar Morgan, say two of those who respond.
• Weekend Rundown (7-6-09) | UM Hoops.com.  Trey Zeigler: 81" wingspan.  [shocked face]
• LSJ Blogs: Hey, Joe: Cake free, but winning anyway.  Rexrode with an interesting rundown of the upcoming B10 season, and how we look as compared to other leagues.
• Shannon Brown returning to Lakers - Los Angeles Times.  After what he did in the playoffs, he's earned it.
• Patty Mills Sidelined After Fracturing Foot -- NBA FanHouse.  Of interest to us (and by us, I mean KJ):
  
  Portland makes its Las Vegas debut on July 13 against the Toronto Raptors and players such as Jerryd Bayless, Pooh Jeter and former Michigan State standout Drew Neitzel will assume the point guard duties.
  
  WOO no more Deutschland correspondents needed!
• A smattering of start dates in the Big Ten - Big Ten - ESPN
  The lineup for Big Ten media days is set - Big Ten - ESPN
  
  Practice starts on August 10, and our representatives in Chicago are Keith Nichol, Kirk Cousins, Greg Jones, Blair White, and . . . Brett Swenson?  Look, I love our kicker as much as anyone, but we're taking him over either or both of our quarterback candidates?  Meh.
• MSU lands pair of Ohio linemen | lansingstatejournal.com | Lansing State Journal.  "I think he's a good solid recruiting addition," SuperPrep.com editor Allen Wallace said [regarding Michael Dennis]. "He has decent footwork and he's fairly quick, with the potential to be huge. He's one of those guys who could turn out to be a very good player."
• Hello, My Name Is: Michael Dennis " JollyGreenGiants.  Jolly Green Giants has your information roundup on Friday's second OL commitment.  O-line depth is always key, but FWIW, Dennis seems like a surefire redshirt to me.  The "potential to be huge" could actually turn into huge with a year of work in the weightroom.
• Michigan State's starting QB spot still up in the air | Freep.com | Detroit Free Press.  Fluff.  Dantonio: "They've been very successful in high school, they have a presence on the field, and they were successful in the spring. We'll go into August and see how it works from there and into the season. But I think it's a good situation."
• Michigan State Spartans Non-Conference Outlook | Bleacher Report.  "Michigan State has a relatively weak schedule this season[.]"  O RLY?  Phil Steele projects our schedule as the tenth toughest in the country for 2009.  The Bleacher Report rap seems to hold true.
• MSU picked for top half of Big Ten, U-M in middle of the pack | detnews.com | The Detroit News.  Chengelis has us third.  Of course, she also predicted that we'd go 10-2; caveat emptor.
• Big Ten WR Profiles - AthlonSports.com.  Ranking the B10's best wide receivers.  Mark Dell #8 (stop dropping the ball and you'll be higher), Keshawn Martin #9, and Blair White #10.
  
• Incoming MSU LB Chris Norman helps lead U.S. to title | Freep.com | Detroit Free Press.  Incoming MSU freshman Chris Norman helps the USA win an international tourna . . . HOLY HELL check out his shirt:
  
  

  
  THAT'S what linebackers are supposed to wear.

• LB Norman sees titles in MSU's future | lansingstatejournal.com | Lansing State Journal.  More from our newest skull-wearin', international champion linebacker, who certainly doesn't lack confidence about our future:
  
  "The recruiting has stepped up a lot and I was proud to be part of that (2009) class. I think the MSU program is going nowhere but up. You're gonna see a national championship, Big Ten championships in the future."
• LSJ Blogs: Hey, Joe: Keep an eye on this one.  Rexrode is enthusiastic about RB commit Nick Hill.
• Michigan St: No longer second to Michigan - AthlonSports.com.  This article seems to be making the rounds around the Spartan interwebs, and it's not surprising: "Now that it appears as if the ascending Spartans are on the verge of passing the Wolverines in the Big Ten hierarchy, or at least pulling even over the long haul." 
  
  As a dyed-in-the-wool Spartan, it pains me to say this, but that statement (and the general tenor of the article) is phenomenally stupid.  Look, I love the direction our program's heading in.  But Michigan is quite possibly--Wolverines would drop the "quite possibly" qualification--the most illustrious program in college football history.  They've been a dynasty for 100+ years, and with a few spotty exceptions, consistently better than us.  Reasonable arguments can be made that Rodriguez is going to end up being a disaster, and Michigan will take a few steps back.  The point remains: in the long haul, they're the benchmark.  I hope we eventually pass them, but one crappy season from them combined with a 3rd place finish from us does not a coup d'etat make.  Let's keep it in perspective here.
• The Battleground: Talking summer recruiting for both U of M and MSU - Terp's Take
  U-M vs. MSU recruiting: Different approach, great results, analyst says | detnews.com | The Detroit News
  Spartans even up recruiting | lansingstatejournal.com | Lansing State Journal
  
  Because we don't have anything better to argue about in July.
• A new top two for Dior Mathis ($).  That said, we shouldn't minimize the importance of this recruitment; if we can nab Mathis, it's huge both on the field and psychologically.  Cass Tech has been a Michigan pipeline in recent years (Will Campbell, Boubacar Cissoko, Thomas Gordon, Teric Jones, etc.), and given their annual plethora of top players, it would behoove us to win one or two of these battles.  Plus, dude can play.
• An Interview With Austin White | mgoblog.  Yeah, we shouldn't get our hopes up:
  
  

  TOM: Early on, everyone really thought you were a Michigan State lock, because of your family ties. How has that changed for you?

  AUSTIN: It was never really the case, I’m sure it’s because of my family. I like State a lot, they’ve got great coaches, but just measuring things out I feel like Michigan feels better than State does. It’s hard because I’ve built a relationship with those guys, so it’s tough.

• College Football Commentators Include Millen Joining, Nessler on ESPN Saturday Nights, Palmer in ABC Studio.  YAY more Matt Millen and Pam Ward YAYAYAYAYAY
• Why can't Utah be Nebraska? Because Nebraska won't let them - Dr. Saturday - NCAA Football - Rivals.com.  QFT: "So: Big schools overwhelmingly a) Have no interest in tough mid-major games outside of the conference, b) Raise the standard for mid-majors to enter the roped-off, big-money bowl games that determine the so-called championship, and c) Won't let mid-major teams into the conferences, an exclusion that costs the smaller schools millions of dollars every year. Indeed, as Perlman says, this is frequently "the way the world works." And when it works this way, it is called a cartel, and we call on government to enforce its laws to shut it down with haste. That's what Hatch and lawyers from the Mountain West alledge, anyway."
• The Seantrel Henderson Sweepstakes - The Daily Gopher.  Follow the minutiae of the #1 HS player's recruitment.  MSU has offered, but it ain't happening; IMO, the best we can hope for is for him to go out of conference.
• Spartan golfer makes the cut | lansingstatejournal.com | Lansing State Journal.  Spartan golfer Jack Newman played impressively as an amateur in this weekend's PGA event: finished tied for 39th at -7, ahead of Davis Love III, Lucas Glover, D.J. Trahan, and many others.
• And, finally, Drew Stanton should settle in as the Lions' No. 3 QB - Detroit Lions: News, Blogs, Photos, Audio, Schedule & Stats - MLive.com.  He's the #3 QB on the worst team in the league WOOOOOOOOO.  But at least he's still a RCMB celebrity.

HT on many of these, as always, to the fantastic Spartan Sports Page.  Have a good week, everyone.