What is it about Michigan State?

[jontaejones]

I'm so jealous of them.

They almost always get the most out of their players. There have been a few times where they have slightly underperformed, but it's not like a crash and burn early exit as a high seed.

They always make the Final 4, and do so with the type of players they want to recruit, mostly good, team oriented kids. They never get the top, top kids, they get local kids mostly who want to play college ball for a few years and then go to the NBA. That's not enough for most programs, but for Izzo, it is.

Even when they look like total shit (this year), they find a way to make it to the Final 4.

Is it Izzo? I think it is. I think he is bar-none the best coach in NCAAB.

 

[Edonidd]

They don't "get the type of kids they want" Tom Izzo wants the Okafers or whoever is considered the top prospects every year. But it's hard to compete with some of these other schools to get those kids. He has publicly let slip that he hates recruiting Chicago area kids because there is so much politics and corruption going on there.

But also last year's senior class was the first class that didn't ever make the final 4 in their four years there. It was also his most talented team. 2 McDonald's all Americans were seniors last year, another was a junior (Dawson, a Sr this year) and another was a sophomore who ended up going pro. I saw a list last year and Gary Harris was only like the 12th high school all American Izzo had been able to get in his 20 years, I think it was the first time he ever had 3 or more on the team at the same time, and I believe the first time with 2 from the same class since their 2001 championship team.

Despite most of the guys he's sent to the pros having pretty good careers, MSU just isn't a draw for those top recruits. He doesn't have the cachet of Duke or UNC or something. Doesn't cheat like some coaches we all know. Basically all he can offer these kids is that if they come play for him, they will work harder and get yelled at more than if they went anywhere else. But they will also probably win.

 

[H2S]

Is it Izzo? I think it is. I think he is bar-none the best coach in NCAAB.

classy post ser jontae.
Yes, it's IZZO...certainly one of the great coaches of our day; the guy is unique, no doubt, but he's only able to work his program magic because the University's sports culture supports, promotes and challenges him & his year-round. Watch any game pretty much any time during the season (but especially during the Mad) and you're likely to see Magic Johnson or Draymond Green, et al, watching/cheering from the stands - the love & loyalty invested in players (whether they're 5* all-Americans or non-schollied walk-ons) by their University "family" returns annual dividends most other schools' ADs can't comprehend...and few can duplicate. Strangely enough, MSU Football and MSU Basketball don't compete - they compliment and bolster each other. And you cannot discount the fact that MSU shares a state with one of the country's richest, most prestigious and storied Universities (scUM) - which serves as a constant goad to improve. Lastly, while modesty & reality compel one to admit that neither Izzo nor football coach Dantonio is the "BEST", MSU does have (without doubt, bar none) the best Athletic Director in the country in Mark Hollis.

gggw

Tom Izzo, Mark Dantonio jointly create glorious time for Michigan State

 

[podsox]

they challenge themselves in the non conference is a big part of it. izzo is a great coach and playing great teams is a lot easier to find the weaknesses in your team and how to improve it than just kicking the crap out of a bunch of garbage.

 

[Smart]

The funny thing is that for a while, Izzo was landing elite talent. Jason Richardson, Zach Randolph (#1), Marcus Taylor, Kelvin Torbert (#1), Paul Davis, and Shannon Brown (#2) were all top ten talent that he took in during a five year period (1999-2003).

Richardson and Randolph got him a Final Four when they teamed with Charlie Bell and the end of the Flintstones, but other than that, those were some of his worst years. He's better when he gets the gritty, under-appreciated recruits than when he gets the hotshots. It fits his rugged style, especially when it comes to rebounding, better. Their talent was obvious (especially the 2005 team which made a Final Four run as a 5 seed), but the toughness wasn't.

 

[gordontrue]

The thing about Michigan St this year is....

East Region.

Yes, I'm feeling bitter and jealous about it.

 

[Edonidd]

classy post ser jontae.
Yes, it's IZZO...certainly one of the great coaches of our day; the guy is unique, no doubt, but he's only able to work his program magic because the University's sports culture supports, promotes and challenges him & his year-round. Watch any game pretty much any time during the season (but especially during the Mad) and you're likely to see Magic Johnson or Draymond Green, et al, watching/cheering from the stands - the love & loyalty invested in players (whether they're 5* all-Americans or non-schollied walk-ons) by their University "family" returns annual dividends most other schools' ADs can't comprehend...and few can duplicate. Strangely enough, MSU Football and MSU Basketball don't compete - they compliment and bolster each other. And you cannot discount the fact that MSU shares a state with one of the country's richest, most prestigious and storied Universities (scUM) - which serves as a constant goad to improve. Lastly, while modesty & reality compel one to admit that neither Izzo nor football coach Dantonio is the "BEST", MSU does have (without doubt, bar none) the best Athletic Director in the country in Mark Hollis.

gggw

Tom Izzo, Mark Dantonio jointly create glorious time for Michigan State

Hollis doesn't get the credit he deserves, because he is "just" an AD. The guy started the outdoor hockey in modern times, something that the NHL stole from him. He started the basketball game on an aircraft carrier, and ESPN offered to let them play in it every year, but he declined in order to let other teams play. He was apparently a big driving factor behind the ABC B1G challenge. He set something else up at Cowboy stadium with teams playing side by side simultaneously, but TV couldn't get the logistics to work. That idea only came up after his Basketbowl thingy at Ford Field during bowl season between MSU and another big program, I don't remember who it was anymore.

He has probably done more for not only MSU but promoting college sports in general especially basketball ,than most anyone else in the last 10 years or so.

 

[Tharvot]

The thing about Michigan St this year is....

East Region.

Yes, I'm feeling bitter and jealous about it.

Certainly helped that they were in the weakest division. I don't think many people thought Nova and Virginia were pushovers though.

Top seeds aside, MSU consistently does well in the tournament because their head coach gets the players to buy in to the system and pour their hearts out on the court.

 

[7Samurai13]

The thing about Michigan St this year is....

East Region.

Yes, I'm feeling bitter and jealous about it.

They went through the 2, 3, and 4 seeds to get there. Let's not pretend that they were going through 10, 15, 14, and 9 seeds.

 

[gordontrue]

They went through the 2, 3, and 4 seeds to get there. Let's not pretend that they were going through 10, 15, 14, and 9 seeds.

Like I said... I'm bitter and jealous. Not really meaning to discount Mich St or Nova or VA... although I guess I sort of am.

I just can't help but look at the 3 1-seeds that made it and reflect on how I (and many others) thought Arizona deserved to be in that group.

 

[7Samurai13]

Like I said... I'm bitter and jealous. Not really meaning to discount Mich St or Nova or VA... although I guess I sort of am.

I just can't help but look at the 3 1-seeds that made it and reflect on how I (and many others) thought Arizona deserved to be in that group.

This was definitely a season where 5 or 6 teams had an argument to be a one seed. Arizona got stuck with a tough Wisconsin. Arizona was probably the best 2 seed with the second or third best one seed. The difference between how tough it is to play against Wisconsin and Duke is razor thin.

Again, before the tournament I thought if MSU could get by Virginia they would go to the final four. Virginia was probably the second toughest 2 seed that got paired up against a team that could exploit their weaknesses.

 

[H2S]

Hollis doesn't get the credit he deserves, because he is "just" an AD. The guy started the outdoor hockey in modern times, something that the NHL stole from him. He started the basketball game on an aircraft carrier, and ESPN offered to let them play in it every year, but he declined in order to let other teams play. He was apparently a big driving factor behind the ABC B1G challenge. He set something else up at Cowboy stadium with teams playing side by side simultaneously, but TV couldn't get the logistics to work. That idea only came up after his Basketbowl thingy at Ford Field during bowl season between MSU and another big program, I don't remember who it was anymore.

He has probably done more for not only MSU but promoting college sports in general especially basketball ,than most anyone else in the last 10 years or so.

no shit, braddah...
Hollis is a certifiable administrative genius. Was either the progenitor of, or major power behind The Cold War, The Carrier Classic (I think, one of the greatest college sports events/promotions in history - 11.11.11), The ACC/B1G Challenge, The Champions Classic and the as-yet unnamed 8-day/3-city December2018 tour featuring UNC, TEXAS, FLORIDA & MSU teams traveling together and playing each other. I'm still hoping that Hollis' plan to have MSU's SPARTANS play USC's TROJANS in GREECE comes to pass...how cool would that be?

 

[gordontrue]

Back on topic... Izzo has an amazing track record.

I just posted in another thread that if you filled out your bracket purely by looking at the coaching matchup... you would've had a pretty damn good bracket this year.

 

[Tharvot]

I thought Virginia would be a 1 seed and duke a 2 seed. UVA won the regular season ACC and neither team won the ACC tourney. Was a bit surprised to see Duke get the nod...then I promptly picked UVA to get to the final 4.

 

[jontaejones]

They don't "get the type of kids they want" Tom Izzo wants the Okafers or whoever is considered the top prospects every year. But it's hard to compete with some of these other schools to get those kids. He has publicly let slip that he hates recruiting Chicago area kids because there is so much politics and corruption going on there.

The funny thing is that for a while, Izzo was landing elite talent. Jason Richardson, Zach Randolph (#1), Marcus Taylor, Kelvin Torbert (#1), Paul Davis, and Shannon Brown (#2) were all top ten talent that he took in during a five year period (1999-2003).

Richardson and Randolph got him a Final Four when they teamed with Charlie Bell and the end of the Flintstones, but other than that, those were some of his worst years. He's better when he gets the gritty, under-appreciated recruits than when he gets the hotshots. It fits his rugged style, especially when it comes to rebounding, better. Their talent was obvious (especially the 2005 team which made a Final Four run as a 5 seed), but the toughness wasn't.

Yes, they have had a few. But most of them were local. Indiana, Chicago, Michigan. Every now and then, they go for like the Andrew Wiggins type, but it's not like Duke, Kansas, and UK.

Mostly Izzo makes his living off of 4-star players who are not one and dones. And I do believe they plan it that way. There's LOTS of schools that have equivalent talent but perform much, much worse, in the regular season and/or tourney.

 

[Smart]

Yes, they have had a few. But most of them were local. Indiana, Chicago, Michigan. Every now and then, they go for like the Andrew Wiggins type, but it's not like Duke, Kansas, and UK.

Mostly Izzo makes his living off of 4-star players who are not one and dones. And I do believe they plan it that way. There's LOTS of schools that have equivalent talent but perform much, much worse, in the regular season and/or tourney.

Depends on the players. There are certain one-and-dones which Izzo recruits quite hard. Most notably, he spent years chasing Jabari and Tyus Jones (and was widely considered to be the #2 finisher for both of them). Jabari, even though he was a one-and-done, would have been Izzo's dream and absolutely would have been the missing link to take him to a title. Tyus would be great in MSU's system. MSU is all about toughness on defense leading to quick transitions on offense, and both of those are areas where Jones excels. I'm sure he wonders what would have been, and wishes he got them.

 

[H2S]

Depends on the players. There are certain one-and-dones which Izzo recruits quite hard. Most notably, he spent years chasing Jabari and Tyus Jones (and was widely considered to be the #2 finisher for both of them). Jabari, even though he was a one-and-done, would have been Izzo's dream and absolutely would have been the missing link to take him to a title. Tyus would be great in MSU's system. MSU is all about toughness on defense leading to quick transitions on offense, and both of those are areas where Jones excels. I'm sure he wonders what would have been, and wishes he got them.

Word had it that Izzo was very optimistic re: his multi-year recruiting commitments to Parker, Jones, Okafor, Alexander and Ulis - all Chicago (except Jones/MN) kids...
every fucking one of the bastid sonnabitches pissed on his leg...
Word has it that Izzo's become much more circumspect about being openly optimistic regarding his 'prima donna recruits.'

The lamest excuse given for dumping Izzo's years' worth of time and effort after one quickie visit by coach K was by Parker: "I didn't want to compete with Branden Dawson for the wing at State - I'll start at Duke." what a dick.

Ulis (word had it) was so upset that MSU delayed making him an offer (while waiting for the Jones/Okafor dick duo's signing that also went to K) that he snapped on Calipari's offer.

Alexander (word had it) was solid "Spartan" until coach Self called at the last minute...didn't even give Izzo a "thanks for the years of caring - scuse while I piss on your leg" call. We're shedding no tears for his ugly season screwing over his Kansas teammates...bwahaha...what a dick.

LOL, today's theme is: If Izzo recruits you and you go somewhere else...you're a dick.

 

[uncfan103]

I thought Virginia would be a 1 seed and duke a 2 seed. UVA won the regular season ACC and neither team won the ACC tourney. Was a bit surprised to see Duke get the nod...then I promptly picked UVA to get to the final 4.

Unbalanced conference schedule. Kind of difficult to say the regular season ACC champion had a better regular season or deserved a higher seed because of their in conference record or because of how they did in the end of year tournament. Duke deserved the one seed more than Virginia, IMO.

 

[jontaejones]

Word had it that Izzo was very optimistic re: his multi-year recruiting commitments to Parker, Jones, Okafor, Alexander and Ulis - all Chicago (except Jones/MN) kids...
every fucking one of the bastid sonnabitches pissed on his leg...
Word has it that Izzo's become much more circumspect about being openly optimistic regarding his 'prima donna recruits.'

The lamest excuse given for dumping Izzo's years' worth of time and effort after one quickie visit by coach K was by Parker: "I didn't want to compete with Branden Dawson for the wing at State - I'll start at Duke." what a dick.

Ulis (word had it) was so upset that MSU delayed making him an offer (while waiting for the Jones/Okafor dick duo's signing that also went to K) that he snapped on Calipari's offer.

Alexander (word had it) was solid "Spartan" until coach Self called at the last minute...didn't even give Izzo a "thanks for the years of caring - scuse while I piss on your leg" call. We're shedding no tears for his ugly season screwing over his Kansas teammates...bwahaha...what a dick.

LOL, today's theme is: If Izzo recruits you and you go somewhere else...you're a dick.

Haha.

That's a pretty common theme for Nova too.

Spent years recruiting Michael Gilchrist and Tyreke Evans.

One call from the Cookie Monster and it was all over...

 

[Arizona_Sting]

Them and UCONN get lucky draws every year. FACK THEM!