The 2011 Favorite Spartan Bracket -- The Izzo-Heathcote Region
by Pete Rossman on May 18, 2011 10:01 PM CDT
in Michigan State Spartans News Roundup
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First off, congratulations to Alan Anderson, who barely edged Derrick Mason to win the play-in poll. You'll see him immediately.
Before we launch into this bracket, a note -- I seeded this semi-randomly (the only change I made was that I moved Mateen so that he wouldn't possibly meet Magic in the second round. That seemed wrong to me. Everything else is randomly seeded), as something as ambiguous as being a person's favorite athlete should really have no seeds. Now, the first bracket to be revealed, the Izzo-Heathcote Region. I chose to honor coaches with the regions, and I couldn't separate Jud and Tom. Here we go:
My immediate thoughts:
- Kalisha Keane has her work cut out for her with Travis Walton, one of the best Spartan basketball leaders of all time. She does have immediacy on her side though.
- As the winner of the play-in poll, Alan Anderson is naturally going against a powerhouse, so it's only fitting he draws Mateen.
- It's a blast from the past as two great Sprtan footballers from a couple decades ago, Percy Snow and Courtney Hawkins, do battle, except it's not as much of a battle as it is a popularity contest.
- Mat Ishbia has the unenviable task of going against what could be the greatest MSU hockey player of all time.
Here's the second half of the bracket:
More thoughts:
- Depending on your thoughts on hockey, the first non-revenue athlete makes the bracket as NCAA champion wrestler Franklin Gomez grapples All-American Greg Jones.
- I don't really have anything witty for Jason Richardson and Morten Andersen. So it goes.
- There's no way we were having a favorite Spartan bracket without Kirk Cousins. He faces Lindsey Bowen, who I enjoyed watching as the women hoopers made their run to the NCAA title game in 2005.
- Floor Rjipma reps Field Hockey here; unfortunately she faces Tim Bograkos, one of the most beloved walk-ons to wear the Green and White.
The Mason bracket will be posted later tonight. For now, your thoughts?
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Current Athletes
I refuse to vote for someone who could potentially harm the program in someway. Now, I do not believe Kirk or anyone on this list would. But in reality, your favorite current spartan could wind up in jail tomorrow for, lets say… a fight at a dormitory or possibly driving while intoxicated.
Troll?
Gotta ask, since you voted for no one. Seems like a snarky UM-esque thing to say.
by rook34 on May 19, 2011 6:42 AM CDT via mobile up reply actions
My Bad, No Troll.
Keane
Cleaves
Snow
Ishbia (because I went to his High School and he is a great guy).
Gomez
Anderson
Bowen
Bograkos
Rook, it wasn’t a shot at the program or institution, more an explanation on why I don’t want current players. No trollin’
understood.
I probably jumped the gun. UM Trolls have been out in force.
by rook34 on May 19, 2011 9:35 AM CDT via mobile up reply actions
By that...
…rationale, I’m not sure you can vote for anyone. What if Kalisha Keane is secretly a serial killer who sublimates her urge to kill by killing other serial killers in the greater Miami area and gets away with it for five seasons, at least? I think people might hold that against MSU.
by witless chum on May 20, 2011 7:53 AM CDT up reply actions
Tough draw for a lot of people.
There’s a lot of one sided name recognition here. My picks:
Travis Walton
Mateen Cleaves
Percy Snow
Ryan Miller
Greg Jones (tough pick, because Gomez would’ve edged out a lot of other people)
Jason Richardson
Lindsey Bowen (sorry Kirk, but you’re still suiting up)
Tim Bograkos
Gomez
Perhaps we should have little bios for each athlete for comparison? I nominated Gomez and also believe he would have faired better against someone other than the All-American Beast that is Greg Jones. Gomez’s accolades are incredible.
by Geofffree on May 18, 2011 11:41 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
Yeah I agree with the sentiment about not choosing current athletes.
Can’t really assess the legacy of a player still wearing the green and white.
Walton
Cleaves
Snow
Miller
Gomez (Anyone who can put National Champion in front of their name is a tough out)
Richardson
Bowen
Bograkos
I have a feeling there will be a lot of hard choices as this progresses.
I also have the feeling this is going to get really hard
Walton
Cleaves
Snow
Miller
Jones
Richardson
Bowen
Bograkos
thoughts
Walton vs mateen
snow vs miller
then in second round it should be mateen vs miller. mateen advances
other side:
Jones vs richardson
Cousins vs Bograkos
then in second round it should be richardson vs cousins. cousins advances
Its fairly easy to seperate Izzo and Heathcote actually
Heathcote built a couple good to great teams. Izzo built a great program. Izzo is clearly better.
One Thing this has made me realize is
how many great Spartans there have been. Seriously, Its hard to compare in some instances, such as Bowen and Gomez who deserve better but wont be moving on unfortunately.
Walton (I love Travis. SO much lol)
Cleaves (No contest)
Snow (Only for being Eric’s older bro. Is Eric in the bracket? He should be)
Miller (Deserves his own theme song)
Gomez (sorry Jones never did anything to make me love him enough to vote him over a CHAMP)
Richardson (Hard pick here, but Richardson was my first favorite Spartan Basketball player ever, and THOSE DUNKS!!!!)
Cousins (Capt. Kirk may be the most popular quarterback we’ve had ever aside from Stanton. And he still has a year to go…)
TimBo! (Noone matches his work ethic. I may try to put him past Kirk…)
There. Have fun totaling these up Pete!
1st Round
Walton, Cleaves, Hawkins, Miller, Jones, Richardson, Cousins, Bograkos
by rook34 on May 19, 2011 6:27 AM CDT via mobile reply actions
Picks
Walton – Cleaves – Snow – Miller
Jones – Richardson – Cousins – Bograkos
Wow, just posted that from my phone and since you can’t see the article WHILE you post I had to go back twice to memorize the names and sequence. …just realized no one else probably cares…
by StickyGreen on May 19, 2011 6:55 AM CDT via mobile reply actions
1st round
Walton cleaves hawkins Miller
Jones, Jrich, Cousins, Timbo
Walton and Hawkins are my two favorite spartans of all time. Unfair that they are in the same bracket.
wait are we voting on this in the comments
or waiting until theyre all up and having a poll for each person?
Ishbia
Matt Ishbia? Really? Why is that clown even on this list!
Because...
…people nominated him. So maybe we could direct our ire against them, if you’ve got a problem, instead of insulting someone who walked on and worked his butt off, trying to help the guys who were actually going to play get better? (Not that I know, but I think Izzo would have found a new walkon if Ishbia had dogged it in practice.)
by witless chum on May 20, 2011 7:56 AM CDT up reply actions
Bracketology (feels wrong to say in May)
Walton
Cleaves
Snow (Got to meet him, Blake Ezor and Coach Perles when I was 9. My mind was blown.)
Miller
Gomez
Richardson
Cousins
Bograkos
Chalk
Much like my normal brackets i’m probably going to be voting mostly for the revenue sport athletes, I include Hockey as one of these.
Walton, Cleaves, Snow, Miller
Jones, Jrich, Cousins, Bograkos
My bracket goes to...
Walton
Cleaves
Snow
Miller
Gomez
Andersen (All time best kicker ever… none in the bracket can boast a comparative claim).
Bowen (upset special… mostly because Cousins is still playing and his legacy is still in the making)
Bograkos
The sideline is always greener at MSU.
Travis Walton
Mateen Cleaves
Percy Snow
Ryan Miller
Greg Jones
Jason Richardson
Kirk Cousins
Tim Bograkos
by Rocketship Richardson on May 19, 2011 11:15 AM CDT reply actions
Sorry to have to put Hawkins out like this, he was one of my faves as a kid.
Walton
Cleaves
Snow
Miller
Jones
JRICH
Cousins
Bograkos
Walton
Cleaves
Hawkins
Miller
Jones
J-Rich
Cousins (For those of you arguing against the inclusion of a current player, I ask you, how many other football players in these brackets have beaten Michigan three straight times? That’s pantheon material in these parts.)
TimBo
by TahoeSparty on May 19, 2011 11:44 AM CDT reply actions 1 recs
vote
Walton
Cleaves
Snow
Miller
Jones
Andersen
Bowen
Bograkos
vote - first bracket
Walton
Cleaves
Snow
Ishbia
Jones
Richardson
Bowen
Bograkos
Votes
Walton (I was a Keane fan, though)
Mateen
Snow (LB over WR, that’s a value system)
Miller
Jones
Anderson (dude played in the league forever)
Bowen(I don’t think I’d get on much with Capt. Kirk, though I salute his ability)
Floor Rjipma (Because someone should vote for her. Though Tim Bo was a great player and brought us the awesomeness that was Will Tieman saying “Here with me is Tim Bograkos, sitting in for my partner Gus Ganakas”)
Votes
Walton
Cleaves
Snow
Miller
Jones
Richardson
Cousins
TimBo
Votes
Walton
Mateen
Snow
Miller
Gomez
Richardson
Bowen
Bograkos
votes
Walton
Cleaves
Snow
Miller
Jones
Richardson
Bowen
Bograkos
Voting still open?
If so, here are my picks:
Walton
Mah-Teen
Hawkins
Miller
Jones
J-Rich
Captain Kirk
Bograkos
"You can look at the dinosaur that weighs you down or you can look at the big pot of gold (and) try to say, 'You know what? I'm going to try to live up to expectations.' " -Tom Izzo, Iron Mountain Philosopher
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