Spartans vs. Badgers Once Again Has Epic Consequences in the Big Ten & Nationally

Spartans vs. Badgers Once Again Has Epic Consequences in the Big Ten United Center Chicago, IL Say what you want about Bo Ryan (and Spartan fans say a lot)

Spartans vs. Badgers Once Again Has Epic Consequences in the Big Ten

United Center

Chicago, IL

Say what you want about Bo Ryan (and Spartan fans say a lot) he and Tom Izzo have grown from bitter rivals to respectful friends and rivals. Both appreciates the other as hard working, blue collar and honest. Both respect each other as clean men in a dirty world of college basketball and recruiting. Both programs stand as constant standard bearers of the Big Ten flag nationally in basketball. Today they meet for a Big Ten Tournament title.

It’s isn’t quite David vs. Goliath, but Ryan’s Badgers are seen by many pundits around the nation (this reporter included) as one a few teams with even a chance of stopping Kentucky in the NCAA dance. Ryan has his best team and en elite one at that. Perhaps their only Achilles heel being guard play and that is really being critical and looking hard for a weakness.

The Spartans will have their hands full. Izzo himself admitted back at the start of the season, “It is Wisconsin and the rest of us.” All that stands in the way of Bo Ryan and a Big Ten Tournament title, and a for sure #1 seed in the Big Dance, is Tom Izzo and his blue collar, lunch pail toting Spartans. A formidable task.

For Wisconsin head coach Bo Ryan he doesn’t want to talk about seeds. He is soley focused on MSU. He said as much after his win over Purdue that sent him to the final, “You know, I never really have talked about seeds ever, even in Division III when they first were talking about seeding and who's going to play where and whom and all that. I stay away from it because I want all my energies to go towards the game tomorrow, and then all our energy is going into, boom, that first opponent.”

Make no mistake this is an uphill battle for Izzo’s cagers. They aren’t the favorite. They shouldn’t be the favorite. But that doesn’t mean they can’t win.

It all starts at the point where Tum Tum Nairn has to shine. Lourawls “Tum Tum” Nairn Jr. is the first freshman to start for Michigan State at point guard in the Big Ten Tournament since Kalin Lucas in 2008. Drew Neitzel (2005) is the only other Spartan freshman to start at the point in the Big Ten Tournament.

Izzo said of Nairn, “Well, he’s an emotional kid and he works so hard and he never says a word. He doesn’t play and he doesn’t say a word. And as I say, he just idolizes BJ, so I think they have an appreciation for him. This is definitely, not cause we’re here, but it’s a frustrating team in some ways and not quite as talented, but as far as the together team, I’ve never seen a group of guys since last spring that like to hang out and do things together and that is usually what good teams have.”

One of the things that have set Izzo apart at tournament time is his ability to turn his team around on little rest and little preparation. He said of that system and today’s matchup that, “Oh this is a slow turnaround compared to last night’s. Last night was a quick turnaround. And we just played Wisconsin. We didn’t play them, I think it was two months since we played Maryland. But as I said in my press conference, I’m not sure we played Wisconsin last time. We were there, we kind of showed up. We’ve got to do a lot better job from a coaching standpoint. We did not handle some things that wasn’t the players’ fault, it was definitely we did not make the adjustments. And we’re gonna have to do a better job now. Still might not work, Kaminsky’s a heck of a player. They’ve got so many weapons, well coached, they don’t foul, don’t turn the ball over. They’ve just got a lot of reasons why they’re I think a No. 1 seed and I think the best team in our league. And yet I’ve been here before, it’s a perfect ending for Bo and I to be here, we’ve had some wars together and we’ve had a lot of great games and played for championships. This is the dream that I have every year. My team to be able to play for a championship. And that, there’s nothing more exciting to me than that. Nothing.”

Having won last year’s Big Ten Tournament Izzo likes the thought of playing for two in a row today. “That’s something too that I think … is it us and Ohio State back to back … so to do it again would be special. We got our work cut out, but I really believe those are the kinds of things that start separating programs, not teams. If you can do that over a period of time and different players can come back and win it, I think that speaks a lot.”

So how big would a win today be for Izzo? “Championships, that's kinda what you live for, that's what you play for, that's what you work for. To be able to stand somewhere and say that you're better than the rest.”

Izzo is no stranger to success in March. So what is it? What is his magic elixir that seems to have every Spartan team relevant in March? He said, “It’s a culture that's been developed, not by me, but by the players that played here before. I say it all the time, but its Magic calling in this week, it's Steve Smith calling in. It's still the same thing, and when they call me, they call the players.”

He continued with, “You know, like Denzel said it best in the locker room after: It's what you expect here. But the mission is how do you live up to what the players have done before you. That's not a coach. I mean, I love March for two reasons; it's tournament basketball with chances to win a championship, and the weather is getting nicer. Those two things. Days get longer and practice is over and it's still sunny. It's just a phenomenal time of year. “

But perhaps he kept his most telling reasons for last. “I think because we have so many great alums that really look at this month and they call from everywhere and they call our players, and our players, I think, somewhat feel a little obligated. That's not a bad thing, you know, to live up to the standards of the people that built the program. So I don't give my staff has done an incredible job. I give them credit on the quick turnarounds, but boy, you've got to give all the players that were here before that still care enough about this program, and that's made a difference why I think we're good in March, so far.”

Magic won’t be on the court today. Scott Skiles won’t be making passes from behind his back and Steve Smith won’t drain a three. Mateen Cleaves won’t enter a huddle to motivate the like an evangelical preacher. But they all will be watching. I wouldn’t expect MSU to win but only one out of ten of these games if played ten times. But is today the one?

Izzo expressed how a team expects or hopes to win. “I think if you totally expect to win then you’re fat and sassy, and that doesn’t work too good. You’ve got to understand how you win, and you’ve got to put in more time. We really debated what to do last night, I said should I let them go to bed? I said ‘That’s not what we do here. We watched film, we walked through a 1 o’clock in the morning. I did let them sleep in a little bit because Denzel called me and said ‘Coach, instead of 9:15, can we sleep in until 10? Pushed back the meal a little bit. I did what I did with Mateen, I listened, and I decided that’s the way to do it, and I love when players give input that I can trust, although I’m going to remind ‘Zel that we slept through the first 10 minutes, so his alarm must not have gone off.”

Tune in at 3:30 EST to find out. Either way, what a run and it’s only the Big Ten Tournament. What can happen next week!