This one was extra special
I am going to start this article by reprinting a couple of things I wrote in the game preview article on Saturday:
Because here is what I am expecting on Sunday. Michigan State is going to be the team that comes out with a higher level of adrenaline. Michigan State is going to be the team with something to prove. Michigan State is going to be the team playing like they are trying to get right for the postseason. Jaden Akins is going to play like a man on fire, as will his teammates. And MSU will send their seniors off with one last victory on the Breslin floor.
Time to put an exclamation point on the end of this championship-winning regular season!
It was an exclamation point indeed. This was one of the more enjoyable games I have attended at the Breslin. There is kind of an unwritten rule that you are not supposed to cheer in the media box, but I was definitely breaking that rule watching the Spartans do Michigan State proud.
From the first half domination (a 22-point lead at halftime) to the physicality coming from um’s frustration at getting their derrieres handed to them (they definitely got away with at least one foul that could have been reviewed) to the inevitable altercation on the logo (there is photo evidence from earlier in the game that that is not where um players were standing during FT attempts) to the post-game festivities, the three MSU seniors certainly had a day they will always remember.
In that first half, we saw the same type of silly play from um that has contributed to their end-of-season skid, with them having a high propensity for throwing the ball away. Some of the passes that team made just had me laughing at them. In the first 20 minutes, they committed 11 turnovers, several of which were intercepted passes. At least a couple of them you could see would be stolen as soon as it left the passer’s hands.
The three-point shot was falling for MSU early. Jaden Akins sunk three of them in the first seven minutes of action, and Tre Holloman had one mixed in among those. Tre would add a couple more triples later in the half, and Jase Richardson also added one.
There was a wonderful sequence in the final two minutes of the half where Richardson and Jaxon Kohler had dunks nine seconds apart, sandwiched around an Akins steal. It just felt like MSU was doing whatever they wanted to in the first half. The fifty points scored was their most in a first half this season; they did just put up 61 in the second half at Iowa a game before so if my math is correct, the Spartans scored 111 points in two consecutive halves of play.
In the second half, Michigan State, understandably (and perhaps predictably) played like a team who had a 22-point lead at the break. Our offense was suddenly more charitable with the ball, and we coughed it up 13 times after just two turnovers in the first half. Defensively, after keeping Danny Wolf without a made FG for the first 28 minutes of play, we allowed him to hit five in the last 12 minutes. Along with his 7-11 effort at the stripe, Wolf finished the game with 18 points. Vlad Goldin was a problem for MSU all game, as he dropped in 29 points. I use the word “dropped” because about half of his makes were in the low post and all nine of them were from below the free throw line.
I will accept him going off as I am all for the strategy of shutting down four players and making one guy have to beat you. With five minutes remaining in the first half, Goldin had 14 of um’s 17 points; MSU had 33 points by then and the game was a route.
Yes, things got chippy after halftime. Since this is um we are talking about, this, too, was predictable. In my opinion (and judging by his reaction on the sideline, in Tom Izzo’s opinion also), um got away with some dirty antics on a Jase break when he was shoved into the front row and landed on his back. Officially, it was called a turnover. Going the other way, MSU was called for a foul on something much less egregious, and that play was even reviewed, but ultimately not upgraded, for a flagrant.
In the second half, um managed to trim their deficit to as close as 11 points, which was just after the midway point of the half. A Richardson triple right after that moved it back to 14 and um never managed to get that close again, as MSU coasted to the 79-62 victory.
I do have to give some shout-outs to the Izzone as well. They were loud and ferocious yesterday. After one of the incidents where Goldin committed a foul, knocking a Spartan down and not moving away properly, the student section busted out with a chant that I am not allowed to type here as it featured an expletive. And late in the game, after the logo incident, we had a “Little Sister” cheer echoing through the Breslin Center.
About that incident at the end, the evidence is out there. Frankie Fidler, who was the first senior to make his exit, gave his kiss a little bit off center because the two visitors were standing in the way. Akins can be seen on camera saying something to them, presumably asking them to move. Holloman can be seen saying something. Finally, just before Szymon Zapala made his way to the logo, Tre decided he had enough and got in the face of the two loiterers. From where I was watching, I could not tell who first shoved who, and different angles of it give me different answers, but from talking to Tre on the court after the game, well, just watch this video . Regardless, it never should have come to that. The um guys should have moved when Akins asked them to. There was literally nothing to be gained from it as the game was long decided. If anything, if by some chance we see them again in the BTT (it would have to be in the final as we are on opposite sides of the bracket), I would just assume this would give us even more motivation to beat them by an even bigger margin. It will probably have to wait until next season.
I was not in the room for Dusty May’s press conference . From this clip, I won’t go so far as to say he ordered the code red (sorry for the movie reference), but his answer to the reporter’s question just stinks of villainous buffoonery. I know even among MSU fans that there was a great deal of respect for um’s former coach John Beilein; I don’t think Dusty is going to receive that sort of civility from Spartan Nation after this. He may be public enemy #1 in East Lansing now.
After the final buzzer and the handshakes, Senior Day festivities got underway. It began with the recognition of student trainers and managers, as those seniors got to come out on the floor with their family and kiss the logo. Then the three seniors on the team had their turn. For each, a premade video played on the jumbotron where they got to speak about their time in East Lansing and playing for Michigan State. After each’s respective video, they were walked out on the floor with their invited guests. Did you all know Zapala is engaged? What is with college athletes being engaged? Good for him, though.
After Fidler, Zapala, and Akins were brought out and had their photo opportunities, Tom Izzo took the mic and MC’d a fun little segment. He invited all the former players who were in attendance to come out onto the floor. Steve Smith came out. Jason Richardson came out. I’m pretty sure I saw Drew Neitzel. And many others were there too. Tom was sure to make sure this was not just about MSU basketball, but MSU as a whole. He next invited former football coach Mark Dantonio and current coach Jonathan Smith out to the court; no word on where Mel Tucker was yesterday. He invited his “99-year young” mother to come out; obviously Lupe Izzo was there along with Steven and Raquel, as well as Raquel’s husband and baby. Lastly, as the banner was revealed and raised, Tom called out the hockey team, as they too are Big Ten champions this year. As the two teams, as well as all the other guests on the floor, gathered in front of the banner for photos, green and white (silver really) confetti was blasted out of cannons. And as order completely disappeared after that point, a ladder was brought out for the cutting down of the net, with each player snipping themselves a souvenir from the win, to go with the championship hats and shirts they had already received.
Eventually Tom Izzo made his way to the media room for his press conference. Much of his speech and the questions asked afterwards, of course, were related to the scuffle. Tom did not seem too angry about it, dismissing it as part of the rivalry. He always says the “right” things to the press, but I am sure he had a very different message to his team behind closed doors. And obviously, he gave Holloman his flowers, though he did point out he doesn’t want him getting in any real fights. Tre was given the honor of getting to kiss the logo in the postgame ceremony even though he is not a senior. He is going to get a crazy standing ovation when he gets subbed out at the end of his Senior Day game next year. Tre earned himself some serious “favorite Spartan” points yesterday the way he stuck up for the tradition.
But now we are on to postseason play. As Tom said in the press conference, things become more serious now that we are in win-or-go-home mode. I believe that the way the second half of yesterday went, along with the fire lit by that end-of-game incident, will result in a focused Spartan squad who is going to play the full forty in every game we have left. Another quote from Tom from the press conference, which he attributed to Bo Schembechler, “Those who stay will be champions.” Well, we have one championship so far this year. Let’s see what else we can win.
And if you have not seen it yet, here is Tom Izzo’s post-game comments:
Michigan State coach Tom Izzo on 79-62 wn over rival Michigan on senior day