For anyone who is around, post your game comments here.
#2 Michigan State vs. #1 Connecticut 5:07 pm
#3 Villanova vs. #1 North Carolina 30 minutes following first game's conclusion
Should be two great games with 70,000+ expected! I've got, close to home, Michigan State and the most talented team in college basketball, UNC.
0 recs | 45 comments
MSU 9-5, early
Spartans are off to a quick start and are hitting the offensive glass well.
UConn a little sloppy to start but has settled down in the last couple of possessions.
awiggo - April 4, 2009
MSU 14-10, first tv timeout
Spartans hot early from the floor and executing their offense to perfection. UConn needs to do a better job in transition D and on the defensive glass. Huskies with two three-pointers already but can’t settle for the outside jumper, ala Louisville. UConn needs to feed the post and attack off the dribble.
awiggo - April 4, 2009
16 all
Not sure I like five subs on the floor at the same time for Michigan State. I don’t care how deep you are—starters matter.
awiggo - April 4, 2009
26-23 UConn
Huskies having their way near the basket, especially Jeff Adrian.
Spartans staying close with good looks in transition.
Nice to watch two teams who are so efficient on offense.
awiggo - April 4, 2009
I'll join the party with you
Great game thus far.
DoubleB - April 4, 2009
Clark Kellogg
is exactly right. The faster the game, the better Michigan State will be.
A half court game is exactly what UConn wants and where they can take advantage of their bigs.
awiggo - April 4, 2009
The foul, albeit hard, wasn’t the problem. The fracas afterward may have been.
DoubleB - April 4, 2009
It's been well-offiicated thus far
don’t start calling the bullshit fouls we’ve seen most of the tournament.
DoubleB - April 4, 2009
Lucious
hot shooting from three a real bonus for Izzo. Michigan State had a significant cold spell for a lot of the first half.
Price, Adrien, and Thabeet all playing well for UConn.
awiggo - April 4, 2009
I've seen more
of this G Tech buzzer beater over USC this year than I have in the previous 15 combined.
DoubleB - April 4, 2009
Izzo might be the best basketball coach
in America.
DoubleB - April 4, 2009
Well played half by both teams
MSU excelled in transition and on the offensive glass. While UConn dominated as they should in the post and in most of their halfcourt sets.
awiggo - April 4, 2009
Agreed
Arguably the best 1st half of any game of the tournament
DoubleB - April 4, 2009
Suton got screwed there
DoubleB - April 4, 2009
Crowd In the Game Now
Michigan State takes a four pt lead. Spartans are really, really good at turning good defense into easy offense.
awiggo - April 4, 2009
This is what you call a homecourt advantage
Texas’ “homecourt advantage” when they played in Houston in last year’s tournament? Not so much.
goingforthecorner - April 4, 2009
Spartans up 8, seven min left
MSU killing UConn on the glass and Connecticut unable to take advantage of MSU foul trouble at the line.
Spartans in great spot.
awiggo - April 4, 2009
UConn shooting free throws like the Horns
awiggo - April 4, 2009
They basically are a rich version of Texas
like us, they have one good shooter (post Dyson injury)
goingforthecorner - April 4, 2009
Damn
MSU pulling away. What’s scary is they should be pretty good next year despite losing Suton and Summers. They’re getting 2 high rated centers next year also. Perhaps Morgan and/or Lucas leave early.
Tom Izzo might be the best overall coach in the nation when you talk about recruiting and X’s and O’s
goingforthecorner - April 4, 2009
He is the best
IUTex - April 4, 2009
Still a lot of time left.
I look for UConn to make it interesting down the stretch.
StanTheCaddy - April 4, 2009
1 on 5
Both AJ Price and Stanley Robinson are trying to play one on five and failing miserably.
awiggo - April 4, 2009
Wow.
How many times has a UConn player had the ball stripped cleanly in the 2nd half. Might not be so interesting an end after all.
StanTheCaddy - April 4, 2009
Terrible shot by Walton
and I think Izzo was going nuts after it.
They had an opportunity to waste a good 25-30 seconds but instead Walton jacked it up immediately after they got the off. rebound
goingforthecorner - April 4, 2009
Not dead yet
Price with a nice drive and finish. UConn at line for two more.
awiggo - April 4, 2009
MSU imploding...
4 point lead
whodat - April 4, 2009
Wow, a basket plus 2 free throws
and with Thabeet going down, UConn gets to use a real good FT shooter.
Back to a 4 point game
goingforthecorner - April 4, 2009
Bad foul there
Down just four. 1:18 left.
awiggo - April 4, 2009
Why is UConn fouling wtf?
goingforthecorner - April 4, 2009
Stanley Robinson
is a freaky athlete.
awiggo - April 4, 2009
Well deserved win by MSU
DoubleB - April 4, 2009
Shaky,
but Mich State still in good spot.
awiggo - April 4, 2009
82-73 Michigan State
Tournament Tom Izzo works his magic again. Spartans executed extremely well on both ends. They ran and finished n transition, crashed the offensive glass, and did their best to neutralize Connecticut’s advantage in the paint.
UConn helped with some poor perimeter shooting, untimely turnovers, and shaky foul shooting.
awiggo - April 4, 2009
Every 4 year player under Tom Izzo in Michigan St.
has reached at least one Final Four. Amazing.
goingforthecorner - April 4, 2009
Coach K had a run like that
1983-1997 and then Wojo got tooled in the Elite 8 and screwed it all up.
DoubleB - April 4, 2009
Lets go Nova
Michigan state looked really good, with that crowd and the way they are playing I would not be surprised if they win it all on Monday.
blazzinken - April 4, 2009
I'm with you
Can’t stand Carolina.
awiggo - April 4, 2009
Man's Game
10-8 UNC, under 16.
Nova fans should like this start. Wildcats are attacking the offensive glass and refs have swallowed their whistles, for the most part. The more physical this game is the better for Nova. The more finesse and up and down it is the better for Carolina.
awiggo - April 4, 2009
Well shit
UNC with a quick 9-0 run. Tar Heels hitting jumpers, while Nova is not.
The Nova pressure is speeding up the game—the opposite of what you want against UNC.
awiggo - April 4, 2009
26-12 UNC
This game already feels out of hand. When Carolina is scoring in tranistion and hitting jumpers, they are the best team in the country and it’s not even close. That is exactly what we’re seeing through the first eight minutes.
awiggo - April 4, 2009
UNC reminds me of
Florida in 2007. Everybody on the floor is a legitimate scorer and even though the defense might not be great, it’s good enough.
DoubleB - April 4, 2009
Nova
showing signs of life. Only down 9.
DoubleB - April 4, 2009
There we go
7-0 run cuts 16 pt lead to single digits.
Need to finish last two min of this half just as strong.
awiggo - April 4, 2009
Nine pt magin for Carolina
Lead only being single digits is a small miracle for Nova. This game hasn’t felt competitive since the opening minutes.
awiggo - April 4, 2009
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