Microanalyzing the 2010-2011 Michigan State Basketball Schedule
by KJ@theonlycolors on Aug 27, 2010 10:00 AM CDT
in Michigan State Spartans Basketball
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PrintThere wasn't a lot of critical information in the basketball schedule released yesterday that we didn't already have, but analyzing things is what we do here So here you go, bulletpoint-style:
- Exhibition opener is Tuesday, November 2 vs. Saginaw Valley State. Only 67 days away, believe it or not.
- Regular season opener is Friday, November 12 vs. Eastern Michigan.
- Five off days before the Maui Invitational; three after, going into a game vs. a lower-tier Tennessee Tech team. Shouldn't have the kind of fatigue issues the team did going into the 2008 UNC game coming off only 2 full days rest after a long weekend tournament (although the travel back to East Lansing from Hawaii will obviously be lengthier).
- We already knew all the major-conference non-conference opponents: South Carolina (at home), Duke (away), Syracuse (New York), Texas (home). As Izzo pointed out in the press release, 6 of MSU's 12 currently-scheduled non-conference games could be against major-conference opponents if things play to form in Maui (UConn, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Virginia, and Washington are the potential major-conference foes there).
- MSU plays at the Palace again, after a year off, against Oakland. (This qualifies as new information, I think.) The Grizzlies look to be the most dangerous non-major-conference team on the slate. Center Keith Benson (21 points, 11 rebounds vs. MSU last year) is back for his senior year.
- One more non-conference game is yet to be announced. Will presumably be the weekend of December 18-19 (after finals week) or a mid-week game after Christmas going into conference play. Saturday the 26th is also a possibility; not sure if they'd want to play a game Christmas weekend or not.
- Conference schedule looks pretty reasonable. No more than two road games (or home games) in a row at any point. Quite a few turnarounds on only 2 full days rest, but that's the price of being on ESPN a lot.
- Missing conference games are home to Ohio State and at Indiana, reversing last year's missed games. Fairly neutral pair of games to have off the schedule. Missing OSU on the road last year was a better deal, arguably helping MSU snare a share of the title and making up a little for scheduling disadvantages that worked against MSU's title hopes a couple times earlier in the decade.
- Big Ten slates ramps up fairly slowly to a killer back-to-back-road-game sequence in Champaign and West Lafayette in the 6th and 7th games. A 6-game sequence in the second half of the schedule includes at Wisconsin, at Ohio State, Illinois, and Purdue. That's where MSU's Big Ten championship hopes are likely to be realized or squashed.
- Senior Day will be against Iowa on a Wednesday night. Pretty good odds of Lucas, Summers, and Kebler going out with a win.
- Final regular season tilt is down in Ann Arbor. As noted by Seer, Michigan students will be on break for the game--so Crisler could be pretty green.
- Final entry on the schedule, on the very slim chance you weren't aware:
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Purdue
Purdue’s missing games are playing Michigan at home and at Northwestern. Advantage MSU?
Probably
but Purdue dropped that game in Evanston last year — and that was with Hummel healthy.
by Pete Rossman on Aug 27, 2010 10:13 AM CDT up reply actions
Note on final entry on the schedule...
Anyone else find that funny (same sort of thing was on it last year) — given how Izzo always makes comments about how the fans ‘think the final four is on the schedule or something’.
Do you think Northwestern has the NIT on their schedule?
(All joking aside, I hope NW makes the Dance this year.)
by SpartanBoiler on Aug 27, 2010 2:20 PM CDT up reply actions
I dunno
Shurna fills a nearly identical role; losing Coble hurts but probably not as much as you think.
Remaining nonconference game
I’d love to see Notre Dame in that last slot. It’s probably the most sensible game we haven’t played in the Izzo era. Stokes the flames of the rivalry, would probably end up on national TV and should be a W for the green and white.
They haven't been willing to play us since the '79 Final Four
Digger holds a grudge. I don’t know why they continued ducking after he left, but I’d be surprised if it changed this year. Maybe that’s the real sticking point in them joining the Big 10 – they’re afraid to play us twice a year in basketball.
by TheCrestedHelm on Aug 27, 2010 1:33 PM CDT up reply actions
I dont think
they care about playing us in basketball enough for that to be a deciding factor. Its more a pride issue what with their precious independence.
Ooonst ooonst muthafucka!
Actually, they ended the series after the '75 game.
We just sort of lucked into playing them in ’79.
You are correct though. Digger killed the series.
Why?
Im a bit confused what we did to Digger Phelps that was so bad? Aside from kick his ass up and down the court.
Ooonst ooonst muthafucka!
I've tried to get an answer to this question for a long time...
No one seems to have the answer or is willing to ask the parties involved what actually happened (Digger, Jud or any of the AD’s if they are still alive).
It wouldn’t be correct to say we “kicked his ass up and down the court”.
Digger took over as ND’s coach for the 1971-72 season. Here are the games and results:
1972 MSU wins at Jenison 94-72 (Final record MSU: 13-11 ND: 6-20)
1973 ND wins at home 85-72 (MSU:13-11 ND: 18-12 NIT runner up)
1974 ND wins at Jenison 91-89 (MSU: 13-11 ND: 26-3 Sweet 16)
1975 MSU wins at ND 76-73 (MSU: 17-9 ND: 19-10 Sweet 16)
The game in 1975 was the last scheduled meeting between the schools. EVER. Digger went 2-2 in games against us. 1-1 at home and on the road.
If we analyze the games: we have a middling MSU team beating an atrocious ND team, good and strong ND teams beating two middling MSU squads and finally two evenly matched teams which saw MSU come out on top.
In 1979, MSU and ND and the two best squads in the mid west, but this was one of Diggers best squads (24-6 Final record). The game from what I understand wasn’t as close as the final score of 80-68. ND was the 1 seed in the east region while MSU was the 2 seed.
If there was any hope of resuming the series, I believe it ended at this game, as ND expected with a lineup including Tripucka, Woolridge and Laimbeer (all NBA vets with at least 10 years in the league) to win the National Title. That we effectively ran Digger’s best team off the floor in the Elite Eight just added insult to injury.
Digger would coach ND through the end of 1991 season. If he made any vow not to play MSU (he was notorious for not scheduling B10 teams), by the time he left it had been 16 years since MSU and ND played a scheduled game. This once great series (94 games played overall) was “mostly dead”. ND joined the Big East four seasons later at which point the series was “all dead”.
In summary, I believe it’s incorrect to suggest that the 1979 game was the end of the rivalry (as the last scheduled game was played 4 seasons prior). Digger definitely had a hand in the demise of the series, but no one is talking and no one is asking why it ended.
Great research
Fight for The Only Colors: Green and White!
by KJ@theonlycolors on Aug 30, 2010 7:31 AM CDT up reply actions
More research.
Gus Ganakas was actually the head coach when the series ended (1969-76). Jud never coached a regular season game against them.
Of the AD’s: Biggie (deceased), J. Burt Smith (Unk. Born in 1917 – 93 if alive) and Joe Kearney (deceased) can’t answer.
I can’t find the names of the person(s) who held the ND AD position during this time (1971-1979) but as ND has only had 12 AD’s I would suspect whoever held the job is no longer with us or able to answer questions.
Clifford Wharton (whom I’ve met twice) was President of MSU from 1970 to 1978. I didn’t think to ask him when I met him, but I’m not sure he would know for sure (He’s 86).
Theodore Hesburgh was president of ND from 1952-87. He’s 93. Again, I’m not sure he would know why the series ended.
If anyone has credentials or gets an opportunity to ask Digger, Gus or Jud…that’s the only way the “mystery” might get solved. Of course, it has been 30 years and I’m sure it will be spun, whatever the answer is. The truth is: we probably care more than any of the three mentioned above.
Next year, ND is adding Purdue for the first time in decades, albeit as part of a one-day event with ND, Butler, IU, and Purdue. There may be hope for MSU.
by SpartanBoiler on Aug 27, 2010 2:21 PM CDT up reply actions
Hoops on Fire?
Is the picture from the Hoops on Fire era? Fun memories. The 97/98 team (sweet 16) is really the beginning of the Izzo era.
Last year's Midnight Madness
Note the new Final 4 banners. But you’re absolutely right – Hoops on Fire started it all. I think I still have that poster somewhere.
by Ducking Delvon on Aug 30, 2010 10:09 PM CDT up reply actions
Water and Notre Dame
Let’s hope that the training staff remembers to bring lots of water on the plane for the flights to and from Maui. In ’05 there were serious dehydration issues for the team for the game against the Rainbow Warriors of the U and into the tournament.
As to ND, I think we should offer them the kind of deal we had with the Mastadons of IUP-FW. We’ll play one game at your place and you play four at ours. That would infuriate them enough that we think they are so low on the totem pole that they might actually enter into negotiations. A few years ago Bley said what a good series they could have with UM because the schools were so close together and had so much “tradition.” It didn’t hurt that Amaker and Bley were Coach K disciples or that UM was a cupcake on the ND schedule. Bley is just another high-hat Dukie who sneers at Izzo’s working-class roots and is scared feces-less that regular drubbings at the hands of MSU could lead him to sleeping in the Kryzewski basement in Durham. My hope would be that someday ND could luck into the NCAA where we could get them in the second round and put a 92-63 beat-down on them. Oh, and I don’t hate ND or mean to disrespect their third rate men’s basketball program by saying these things.
by Uncle Omar on Aug 27, 2010 2:49 PM CDT reply actions 1 recs
After reading this my hope for Purdue schadenfreude has grown.
http://www.hammerandrails.com/2010/8/26/1652791/the-road-to-houston-is-set#comments
If we finished tied for the Big Ten Title again MSU should be a higher NCAA tourney seed based on the non-con comparative schedules alone. Their out of conference schedule is a joke, yet they will probably be able to ride it to a high rank going into the B10 season while we are called “overrated” if/when we drop games to quality opponents.
All their hopes are tied up with there Big 3 making it through a full season uninjured. Has this happened yet in their careers?
Don't think anybody was hurt freshman year.
And both Rob’s injuries have been freak things. Neither should affect future potential injuries.
The schedule is not as easy as people think
Richmond and Oakland were tournament teams. we have three true road games in the non-con (more than anyone else), and two against top 25 teams. Alabama (a decent team) comes to Purdue.
A futile crusade to prevent mass ignorance
HammerAndRails, SBNation's Boilermaker Blog
by BoilerTMill on Aug 28, 2010 11:56 PM CDT up reply actions
We've got Oakland too
And they’re maybe the 7th best team we play in non-conference, and miles behind the top six.
Your schedule is no Virginia Tech-style joke, but I don’t think you’re beating us on that count any time soon.
True
I know our third true road non-con (after West Virginia and Va Tech) is Valparaiso. That’s basically the Robbie Hummel homecoming game.
A futile crusade to prevent mass ignorance
HammerAndRails, SBNation's Boilermaker Blog
by BoilerTMill on Aug 29, 2010 11:14 AM CDT up reply actions
Indiana Ditch Weed
It must be a good year for Indiana ditch weed around Lafayette.
Ugh
4 pm New Years Eve game against Minnesota. I really wish the league would stop scheduling games that day.
by Ducking Delvon on Aug 27, 2010 10:20 PM CDT reply actions
Yeah
I think the last two year’s had games around noon on New Year’s Eve. With the holiday and all they just end up being awkward to catch.
Tonight's going to be a good night.
by Spartalytical on Aug 28, 2010 7:20 AM CDT up reply actions
Hey now
can you think of a better way to spend a holiday than cheering for State? I cant lol.
Ooonst ooonst muthafucka!
NYE Games are Sweet
Although MSU has scheduled them with Northwestern the last few years so the wife and I can take a nice roadtrip to Chicago. Last year the place was 60% Spartans.
Go State!
by Christopher Cobb on Aug 30, 2010 10:41 AM CDT up reply actions
I said this last year and I will say it again
I am happy with a split with you guys, sharing the title, and deciding everything in Indy and Houston.
Deal?
A futile crusade to prevent mass ignorance
HammerAndRails, SBNation's Boilermaker Blog
Id be fine with that
but I PREFER MSU alone at the top lol. This is thinking way ahead, but how cool would a MSU Purdue NCAA final game be? Id tweak out.
Ooonst ooonst muthafucka!
I'd prefer to be at the top too
But a Purdue-MSU final, along with being epic, would be the ultimate FU to the Big Ten haters.
Besides, I do not mind sharing with the classiest fans in the conference when it comes to basketball.
A futile crusade to prevent mass ignorance
HammerAndRails, SBNation's Boilermaker Blog
Oakland
As an Oakland fan, I’m really looking forward to the OU-MSU game at The Palace. They didn’t do too hot against the high-majors last season, but hopefully the experience at the NCAAs and all the brutal losses last year will have them energized. Even so, bound to be more MSU fans at The Palace so it’ll still be tough to keep it close even though it counts toward home totals for the Grizzlies.
by blackandgoldcorey on Aug 30, 2010 9:53 AM CDT reply actions
Side note
Oakland had an interesting distinction last year: they were the “luckiest” team in Division I, using Ken Pomeroy’s luck statistic, by a pretty hefty margin. This means that although they finished 26-9, their offensive and defensive numbers would normally result in a record closer to 20-15. After dropping the opener to Eastern Michigan by 4 they won every other close game they played, putting up a record of 12-0 the rest of the way in games decided by less than 10 points. And, conversely, they had the tar walloped out of them in their 8 other losses, losing by an average of 25. They did win all their Summit Conference tournament games fairly comfortably, so they might have made the NCAAs anyway, even if the “luck” had evened out a bit more, especially when you consider that they played the 14th toughest non-conference schedule in the country. But, since these things tend to even out from year-to-year, I’d probably hesitate to list Oakland as an especially tough non-con opponent this year.
Can you tell I’m ready for the season to start?
They should have won the EMU game. Unbelievably sloppy. Otherwise they were the best team in the conference and didn’t lose a conference game at home. Do I think they’ll beat Michigan State? Absolutely not, but I think chances are at least even against the Maize.
On another note, Crisler being mostly green? I thought that was a little jab at their inexperience.
by Bryan Everson on Aug 31, 2010 1:33 PM CDT up reply actions
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