Was this season a success?
Yes. If last night wasn't enough of an indication, the preseason hype surrounding our team was overblown. We are a good basketball team, just not an elite team. It was evident throughout the Big Ten conference season, and it showed last night against a great team like Memphis. We made it to the sweet sixteen by beating two very solid clubs in Temple and Pittsburgh, and that's something to be pretty proud of. We went into the tournament playing our best basketball of the season (although it was hard to tell last night), and you can't ask for much more than that. Bill Packer said it best, "This team just doesn't have the talent to match-up with Memphis." He's right, but we did the best we could this year with the talent we did have.
What will Neitzel's legacy be?
As someone who was made to be something he wasn't. From his freshman year to his senior, Neitzel, to no fault of his own, has been used and portrayed as anything but what he is- an assassin from the three-point line. As a freshman he came to MSU touted as the next great point guard- the man who would remind us of Mateen. After his frosh and soph years, however, it was clear Neitzel wasn't a point guard. He was best coming off screens, curls, and taking passes and draining 20+ footers. That being said, he was never an explosive player. He was never strong enough to take a bigger guard off the dribble hard to the rim when his shot wasn't there. He couldn't create his own shot. So when Neitzel was labeled an all-this and all-that player, it created a pressure to perform beyond his capabilities. Could you imagine Neitzel on a team with a dominate big man that relieved defensive pressure from him? All Neitzel would have to do is spot up and drain threes- which is what he is best at. That's his game. And it's unfortunate that State couldn't provide him with the help he so desperately needed, and forced him to be something he wasn't.
What's next year look like?
Honestly, and I know Adam really wants us to get that final four in Detroit, I don't see anything much different from us. In this day and age in college basketball you need a dominate, blue-chip player on your team to contend for a national championship. If you don't, you better have a ton of NBA-type athletes/talent to make up for the absence of a game-changing type player (MSU 2005). The parity in college basketball is at an all-time high- anyone, from anywhere, can play. From small schools in North Carolina to the hilltops of Western Kentucky, there are a plethora of players that can flat out ball. To be an elite team, you need those players that can separate you from the parity. We have some great talents in Lucas, Morgan, Suton (yes, even you Suton), Allen, and Summers, but there is nobody who can take us to that next level. Will Mr. Roe be the answer when he steps on campus next fall? Possibly, but if he's not, I expect a season similar to this one- contending for a Big Ten title, a ranking in the 10-25 range, a few good wins with a few bad losses, and another sweet sixteen run. And sorry, Adam, no trip to Detroit, as badly as I want it, too.
~Mikey D
With the NFL Draft coming up, I did a little research on the Matt Millen era in Detroit. Yes, this is what I do with my time while I'm on spring break. I basically focused on Millen's picks, which we all know have received much scrutiny over the years. I wanted to look at his drafts as a whole though, to see how he did after he drafted a first-round wide receiver. My findings? We are a terrible, terrible franchise. To start, here are a list of players who are still on the Lion's roster that Matt Millen has drafted. Even if your name is Matt Millen, this is awful.
2001:
OT- Jeff Backus
OT- Dominic Raiola
2002:
TE- John Owens
2003:
DT- Cory Redding
2004:
WR- Roy Williams
LB- Alex Lewis
CB- Keith Smith
2005:
DT- Shaun Cody
CB- Stanley Wilson
QB- Dan Orlovsky
2006:
LB- Ernie Sims
S- Daniel Bulloks
RB- Brian Calhoun
OT- Jonathan Scott
LB- Anthony Cannon
2007:
WR- Calvin Johnson
QB- Drew Stanton
DE- Alama-Francis Ikaika
DB- Gerald Alexander
OG- Manuel Ramirez
CB- Ramzee Robinson
Matt Millen has had 53 draft picks since 2001, the year he took over. Of those 53, only 21 have stuck with the roster. That means Millen has failed on a whopping 32 draft picks. And I use the term "fail" loosely, as you can take a look at the players who are still on the roster, and the "hits" are hardly major successes.
Of the 21 players that are still on the roster, these are the picks that I would deem quality:
OT- Jeff Backus
OT- Dominic Raiola
DT- Cory Redding
WR- Roy Williams
LB- Ernie Sims
S- Daniel Bulloks
WR- Calvin Johnson
I've only listed seven players there. Of course my list is open for debate, as you could probably make a valid argument of not including some of these players, or including others. Maybe Millen will hit on a franchise QB in Stanton, time will tell. So of the seven I've listed, that means fourteen of the players on our roster are basically fillers or back-ups that could be (should be) cut any time. So in essence, Millen has hit on 7 of 53. And of those seven, how many are dominate starters, players you'd build a franchise around? Three (Sims, Williams, Johnson)?
Even more discouraging is Millens' ineptitude in the first couple rounds:
1st Round:
4 out of 8 (50%)
Hits: Roy Williams, Jeff Backus, Ernie Sims, Calvin Johnson
Misses: Joey Harrington, Charles Rogers, Kevin Jones, Mike Williams
2nd Round:
6 out of 10 (60%)
Hits: Dominic Raiola, Shaun Cody, Daniel Bullocks, Drew Stanton, Alama-Francis Ikaika, Gerald Alexander
Misses: Shaun Rogers, Kalimba Edwards, Boss Bailey, Teddy Lehman
Millen can barely get half of his round 1 and 2 picks to stick on the roster! That means we are filling our roster with free agent rejects and later round picks- aka the less talented. So is it any wonder why we have been in rebuilding for years and years? According to the Detroit News, the eight misses in the first two rounds, "represented a sizable investment in terms of money and personnel, but Marinelli said there was no resistance from upper management in his decision to part ways with them. "We talked this thing through all the way through it," Marinelli said. "It's not just talent. It's some of the other areas I'm looking for. Production level is everything in this league."
Marinelli with that statement, in my opinion, just inadvertently said Millen was a failure with his picks. He said it's not just about talent- "Millen, you took the flashiest player on the board, but did not fit our team." He said production level is everything- "Millen, basically your picks have done nothing for us on the field." And they've talked "this thing through"? "Millen, we have to start all over again because you absolutely suck."
I'm sorry, but three quality football players in seven years? Some teams get that in one draft. It's just sad, really. Until I did a little research today, I never fully realized how bad we've truly been. And now I know... and knowing is half the battle.
The Lions officially suck.
~Mikey D
~As a true testament to the fact that I over-analyze and over-think things, the bracket I am doing the best in is the one I filled out immediately after the selection show. I went with my gut, my intuition, and as it turns out, my gut is smarter than my brain. I successfully picked 13/16 sweet sixteen teams (Notre Dame, Butler, Marquette being on the wrong end), and called Davidson to beat Georgetown, Western Kentucky, West Virginia, and Villanova to the sweet sixteen (including W.K.-San Diego and Villanova-Siena second rounders). I'd have all of my elite 8 teams left, and more than likely would be leading our bracket challenge. But alas I can take no credit for any of those picks because I chose to ride my brain and my vast "knowledge" of college basketball. Sigh.
~I watched/listened to most of the Mississippi St./Memphis game yesterday, and I really like Michigan St.'s chances. If anybody else watched the game, it looked like a streetball game for the most part. Isolating the guard up top, drive to the rim, monster dunks on misses. I wasn't thoroughly impressed with Memphis and think they are definitely a beatable team. While Memphis may make more spectacular plays that will draw the "oohs" and "ahhs", fundamentally I think we're a better basketball team. If we execute our game, I think we win. Of course, that is always a big if...
~...that being said, I pick us. I pick us because Neitzel will do what he did to Ronald Ramon- run him ragged. I think Lucas can get by the bigger guard (Rose) and penetrate. I think Walton can do a decent job on Rose. I think we have enough bigs (quantity over quality) to somewhat neutralize Memphis down low. Perhaps for the first time all season, being in foul trouble might work to our advantage, by putting Memphis on the free-throw line. I think Memphis might overlook us slightly, and see the two higher seeds in the next round as bigger threats. But the main reason I think we will beat Memphis on Friday is pure will. We want this. For the first time all year, I feel like the team wants it more than the other team. We will look Memphis in the eyes on Friday and say to their faces, "Fuck you, this is OURS."
~Can you imagine how good State would be if Neitzel, Lucas, Suton, and Morgan actually all played well in the same game? I don't think we've seen it once all year. What if all four showed up to play? That would be a State team I'd thoroughly enjoy watching.
~Best Conference in the Tourny: Big Ten. Shout outs to the Big East and Pac-10, but I give it the Big Ten. We only put four teams into this tournament, and we've got two into the sweet sixteen. Purdue played it's way into the second round and put up a good fight against Xavier. For as much shit as the Big Ten has gotten all year, we are 5-2 and more than holding our own in the tournament. Are we the best basketball conference in the country from top to bottom? No, but our top is pretty damn good. It's a physical, obey-the-code type of basketball that not many programs play. So while we might not be the flashiest conference, all of our teams are tough outs in March.
~Least Impressive Conference: SEC. Vanderbilt fell flat on their faces. Georgia exited first round. Tennessee has looked less than impressive in two games. Kentucky shouldn't have even been in the tournament. Arkansas beat an already defeated Indiana team, but then looked like they didn't even belong on the same floor as an elite team against UNC. Mississippi State is the only team that represented themselves well from the conference.
~Hey, I've Seen That Before! Award: Davidson. Does anybody else remember Wally Szcerbiak when he played for Miami (OH) about ten years ago in the tournament? What Curry is doing right now is basically what Wally did for Miami. He shot his team into the sweet sixteen by hitting every shot he took from anywhere on the court. I remember watching him play against Washington (yes, I remember the opponent- it is still such a vivid game in my mind), and with two defenders in his face launching threes from five feet behind the three point line. It was amazing. As Curry is to Davidson, Wally is (was) to Miami (OH).
~Best Game: Western Kentucky/Drake. It's a shame Drake had to lose, because they are a damn fun team to watch. If they were in any other region, I bet they'd be in the sweet sixteen. It's unfortunate they had to play Western Kentucky who matched up perfectly with them (and W.K. did get a little lucky at the end). I watched this game and watched both teams run up and down the floor and shoot threes like they were lay-ups. It was spectacular. Drake would have four guys on the perimeter, and they'd all just bomb it. The point guard would pick a man, and he'd chuck it- and they'd all hit. The second half and overtime was a blast to watch. Throw in a buzzer-beater, and it makes it my game of the tourny thus far.
~Elite Eight Picks: North Carolina, Louisville, Kansas, Wisconsin, Michigan State, Texas, UCLA, Xavier...nothing spectacular (except for State =) )
Go State!
~Mikey D
And so it begins...
Well, that sucked.
I guess if your team fouls out it is tough to win. 48 total fouls between the two teams. Um, that's a lot. After watching yesterday's game and today's game, I wish the refs would put their whistles in their pockets. Big 10 basketball is physical, let the guys be physical, please.
I'm not that upset with this loss. I think we outplayed Wisconsin and deserved to win this game, but we didn't, and now it's onto the tourny. Perhaps as that 6-seed I'd like so much?
Game MVP: Drew Neitzel. Big time player play big, and he was fucking BIG TIME. For everyone wondering where the hell Drew Neitzel was all year (myself included), it turns out he was in Indianapolis, Indiana the whole time. Spartans, hop on his back, it's time to dance.
Player Who Deserves More PT: Travis Walton. Is it just me, or was Walton playing with a ridiculous amount of energy today? I haven't seen him that active all year long. He was physical and aggressive. You could tell he wanted this game.
Raymar Morgan: Bad. He had a tough match-up today; Krabenhoff is a tough defender. Raymar got in his usual foul trouble, and spent most of the game watching it from the bench. The only time I can remember Raymar doing anything on the floor today was when he fouled the Wisconsin three-point shooter. C'mon Raymar, we need you!
Quote of the Day: "And he fouls the three point shooter." Seriously? Can we not do that anymore?
Go State!
~Mikey D
I got home in time for the second half of today's game. Michigan State got some breaks from the officiating (there were some questionable calls that went against OSU), and they capitalized. Sometimes that happens in games, and it was nice to see us take advantage of the situation.
I started to feel bad for OSU, as I am a Big 10 guy through and through, and I would like to have 5 Big Ten teams in...but they are not getting in at the expense of MSU. Awwww hell no. Fuck that, and fuck them.
Back to the game...here's a few thoughts:
Game MVP: Drew Neitzel. 28 points. Dagger shot with 1:00 left. Sweet-ass juke move on a defender...pick up your drawers, son!
Guy who needs some more PT: Durrell Summers. Jamar Butler hit one of his trademark 3's from butt-fucking Egypt to pull OSU within 2, and then Summers catches a pass on the next possession and buries a triple of his own. After a defensive stop, Summers goes baseline and hits a leaning jumper. Instead of momentum switching back to OSU, Michigan State goes up 7, thanks to Mr. Summers.
Raymar Morgan: Bad. Terrible shooting. Sigh...
Quote of the Day: Steve Lavin, after Neitzel hit his big three with a minute left. As the ball goes through the net, Lavin shouts, "MONEY SHOT!" Yes, Neitzel gave the OSU defender a money shot right in the face. Dirty, dirty...
MSU vs. Wisconsin. Can't wait.
~Mikey D
Haha, Grace found these, and I cracked up for the entirety of both videos.
Just to preface, Jimmy Kimmel always "bumps" Matt Damon at the end of his show (doesn't have time for him), anddddddd he's currently dating Sarah Silverman. Just so you know. Now watch and enjoy!
Well, Adam, you were right, and I was wrong.
OSU ended up beating MSU today, as Adam prophesied about a month ago.
I actually listened to the entire game online while I did my weekly planning for school. MSU started very impressively, then resorted to its old ways in the second half. I think this game was a great characterization of how MSU has played all season- inconsistent. They were up and down the floor, all over the Buckeyes in the first half, and then ice-cold, turnover prone, and in foul trouble in the second half. As with most MSU losses this season, the game had little to do with OSU being dominant, but more MSU just putting itself in bad situations...much like Iowa, Penn State, UCLA, etc.
This loss today is bittersweet. I hate when MSU loses, but I think this puts them in a #6 seed in the NCAA tourny- right where I want them. I think to secure that #6, they have to beat OSU in the first round Friday (they will, I'm confident), and then have a decent showing on Saturday- but not win. Any more wins past OSU might push them to a #4 or #5...which is a death wish in my opinion. Of course I want MSU to win the whole Big Ten Tourny- and will be rooting for it- but if there were ever a year they didn't get it done, I'd choose this year to be it.
But again, this post is for the snowed-in Adam, who told me I'd be wrong. I eat crow. I hand you your props...whatever those are =).
~Mikey D
~I was flipping through the channels last night and found the Cleveland/Chicago game. I watched as Anderson Varejo and Joakim Noah guarded each other, while Ben Wallace roamed as a defender in his new Cleveland jersey. All of a sudden my body's temperature rose to an abnormally hot degree as it began to fill with this immense sense of hatred felt only by those damned souls of the underworld. I had to change the channel immediately.
~Kids do say the darndest things. Yesterday, in the hallway of my school, a girl shouted to a boy, "I'm going to bang you!" I mean, I know kids are getting more sexual at younger ages now, but apparently they are very open and blunt about it, too. Well, not quite. Apparently in this day and age, "bang you" means to hit or fight you. Do you feel old yet? I do.
~MSU beat Illinois- on the road! It's a miracle that we'd actually win a road game. My confidence is rising for this team (again), but I'm worried we'll still end up with that 4/5 seed,which will be awful for us. But back to the Illini game...as Izzo said after the game, "We had some guys getting sick there during the game...I don't know they [were] all throwing up." Those guy? Raymar, Kalin, and Durrell. We should some fight last night, some character, and a will to win...and I liked it.
~I have applied to graduate school, so we'll see what happens from here. I feel like a high schooler again, waiting for that letter to show up in the mail to tell me if I got in or not. Is that not one of the better moments in ones life? Or, of the top-10 pieces of mail you receive in your lieftime, that has to crack top-10, right?
~I have set-up the Knob Hill March Madness bracket on ESPN.com. Let's get everyone in there so we can see who has the bragging rights...although we all know it will be Stacey or Grace because they won't overthink things (Adam and I) and probably won't just push MSU all the way through just because (no name needed).
~Does anyone else find it interesting what the media is saying about the Tiger's pitching this year? First off, last year everyone said our starting rotation was going to be a strength of ours, and then the rotation fell flat on its face. This year, we add Dontrelle Willis, and it's a big question mark. Will Rogers stay healthy? Will Dontrelle and Nate regain their form? Will Jeremy become a reliable, big-time pitcher? Will Justin make it as an ace? Those are all great questions, but they could have been applied to last year as well! I guess the point I'm trying to make is you just never know, but I think they're going to show up this year and pitch well.
~Favre retired. And you know what? I will miss him.
That's it. Quick thoughts. Holla.
~Mikey D
~Let's start with MSU basketball. I know they play Indiana today, and earlier in the week I was excited about the game, but now not so much. Not after watching Wisconsin rip our hearts out with their stupid looking badger teeth. I no longer care about the rest of the regular season (except that OSU game- I want to see if we can win that one, just to see if Adam is wrong), and am looking towards the tournament and the big picture. I've been thinking a lot lately about what would be the best seed for MSU in the tournament; the one that would give us a chance to have the most success. The more I think about it, I am convinced that we would have a chance to be dangerous if we were a #6 seed. Here's why:
-We'd be on the bottom half of the bracket, thus avoiding a clash with a #1 seed in the second or third round.
-At #6, we would receive no talk. We wouldn't be talked about as a favorite or a Cinderella. We'd just be there. I think that's what this team needs- not to be talked about.
-A first round match-up against an 11-seed forces us not to be complacent. An 11-seed this day and age is a quality opponent, so we should see high-effort in the first game and not games like Iowa and Penn State from earlier this year.
-After the first round we'd be an underdog the entire rest of the way. As recent history has shown, we don't play very well as a favorite. We seem to relish that underdog role. I think we'd all agree that this team has the talent to make run, and that they just need to put it altogether. Give this team a purpose and some motivation, and we just might be able to do it.
-Look at the possible #2 or #3 seeds. Texas? Beat them. Butler? Xavier? Georgetown? Stanford? Those are beatable teams. I'd feel much more comfortable going against them than North Carolina, Memphis, etc.
So from here on out, I'm rooting for a #6 tournament seed. Go State!
~I've been doing a lot of research lately about my financial future as a teacher down here. My conclusions? It's not looking good. Just recently our superintendent did not include a cost of living raise for teachers in the latest budget proposal (we usually get one every year). Not a big deal for those peeps outside of Maryland, but living down here everything is expensive. $200 electric bills and the such, so it's kind of a big deal.
Looking farther into the future, the steps increases that the teachers in my school system get are minuscule to say the least. After ten years I will be making less than practically every teacher in the state. Not cool.
And I know I'm only 25 and retirement is a long ways off, but as a person who worries about everything and anything, I worry about what my retirement is going to look like. I won't go into all the details, but with the state's pension plan for teachers I will basically receive about 40% of my ending salary. Comparatively speaking, Pennsylvania and Ohio receive about 80-95% of their ending salary. There's a big difference there, and again, with the cost of living so high here, it worries the hell out of me. Unless things change, I can't see myself staying in this state. I mean I want a wonderful retirement. I want to be able to purchase every sports tv package, have all the major gaming systems, a tricked out recliner, etc., and I'll be damned if I don't get those things.
~Grace is applying for a job with Limited Brands as I type. Believe it or not, my fashion-minded girlfriend isn't interested in working in the rental car industry forever. She would love to get into the retail and fashion side of business, and I will support her in any way I can (being a teacher it's easy- I can go anywhere). Anywho, if she gets a job with Limited Brands she has two possible locations for work- New York City and, get ready for this Adam, Columbus, Ohio.
Now a lot of things would have to fall perfectly into place for us to end up there, but it's got me thinking and it's got me excited for a plethora of reasons.
1. Adam and Stacey. Yay!
2. Closer to Michigan, and thus closer to my family, Kevin, and Grace's friends. And the sports scene.
3. I could get a job working in Ohio, and I'd feel much better about my retirement and economic future. Plus the cost of living would be lower.
4. Grace would be doing something she wanted to do. I know she's happy with her job right now (she's damn good at what she does), but I also know she'd be happier doing something she's more interested in. It'd be a big sacrifice for her to leave the east coast again, but I think she could handle it if it meant she's closer to her friends and has a job she truly loved.
Like I said, a lot of things would have to happen for any of that to come to fruition, but you never know!
~Grace and I saw Semi-Pro yesterday. Not as good as most Will Ferrell movies, but there were some funny parts. Thumbs-middle. Grace gave it thumbs-up, so all in all thumbs three-quarters. If you love Will Ferrell and aren't expecting much plot and just silly/outrageous humor, you will be satisfied. I am pumped for the new Harold and Kumar movie (see below). It's going to be dirty, raunchy, filthy, and most importantly, fucking hilarious.
~ So my spring break this year starts after school on Thursday, March 20- the first day of the NCAA tournament. Yes! I have already taken a personal day for that Monday, because I know I won't be able to focus, being that the brackets will be released the night before. Yes, that's how much I love this tournament and how much sports are a part of me. This will be the first year, however, that we won't have "the wall" set up. Kind of sad, but perhaps I can put something together for my blog that'll remind up of the wall. We'll see. Maybe I can do it that Monday, since I won't be going into work =).
Time for the Sunday grocery shopping. Take care.
~Mikey D
That's what I say when I see something awesome.
Can't wait.
~Mikey D
