Mikey D

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